Are teachers more likely to have varicose veins than non teachers?
A study in Saudi Arabia investigated the prevalence of varicose veins and self awareness of the health concerns of having varicose veins in school teachers.
The study is "pre covid" and surmises that teachers "are required to stand for a significant amount of time (and that prolonged standing, being one of the risk factors for venous insufficiency, puts them at risk to develop varicose veins".
The authors used a questionnaire to determine the nature and extent of varicose veins amongst school teachers in the Asser Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The researchers found that 42% of the teachers were found to have varicose veins most of which were females. Around 62% of the teachers suffering from varicose veins were between 36 and 45 years of age. Participants who did regular exercises were less prone to varicose than irregularly exercising participants (P = 0.0001). No association was observed between smoking and varicose veins (odds ratio 0.15, 95% confidence interval 0.05-0.44).
The researchers from this study from Saudi Arabia concluded thst there is 1) a high prevalence of varicose veins among teachers and that 2) it is necessary to spread awareness regarding varicose veins among 9school teachers) and sensitize them with the methods to prevent its formation. The 3rd conclusion is that regular exercise reduced the likelihood of developing varicose veins.
This article was written by Dalboh A, Alshehri NA, Alrafie AA and Ali Bakri K. Prevalence and awareness of varicose veins among teachers in Abha, Saudi Arabia. J Family Med Prim Care 2020; 9(9): 4784-4787.
Dr Karamanoukian's comment: Since this paper was published, the Covid Pandemic has changed teachinbg and shifted it to more sitting environments using telecommunication via computers. It will be interesting to see how this contributes to the development of varicose veins among school teachers.