Cardiovascular Health Trends Among Korean Working Women: 7-Year Trend Analysis by Workplace Size Using the Female Employees Database From the National Health Insurance Service

Nurs Health Sci. 2025 Dec;27(4):e70266. doi: 10.1111/nhs.70266.

ABSTRACT

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) impact the working population, with disparities by workplace size. Despite increasing female workforce participation, research on their cardiovascular health remains limited. This retrospective cross-sectional study is a secondary data analysis using the Female Employees Database from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS-FEM DB), which includes health examination, sociodemographic, and medical treatment information for a sample of Korean working women. This study analyzed 53 574 women in South Korea using the NHIS-FEM DB from 2009 to 2015. Repeated measures ANOVA assessed cardiovascular health changes by workplace size. Significant time-group interactions were observed for diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting glucose (FG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and CVD risk (all p < 0.01). Working women in small/medium-sized enterprises (SMSE) experienced a significantly faster increase in DBP and FG over time than those in large-sized enterprises (LSE), suggesting a widening cardiometabolic gap driven by workplace size-related structural disparities. These trends suggest that workplace-related structural factors may contribute to the cumulative burden of cardiometabolic risk. Targeted workplace health policies, particularly, in SMSE, could mitigate CVD risks and improve well-being.

PMID:41362010 | DOI:10.1111/nhs.70266