How was a sedentary lifestyle associated with the prevalence of thyroid nodules among government staff?

Abstract

Purpose A sedentary lifestyle has been an increasing public health issue especially since the outbreak of COVID-19. Limited evidence was reported on the association between sedentary lifestyle and prevalence of thyroid nodules, a benign but prevalent health concern in the modern society. Methods This study used the annual examination data of Guangzhou public officials in 2020. Thyroid nodules were diagnosed following standard criteria. Sedentary lifestyle was self-reported as spending < 2 h, 2 ~ 4 h, 4 ~ 6 h, or > 6 h per day staying sedentary. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to evaluate the association between sedentary lifestyle and thyroid nodules. Results were also stratified by covariates. Results Among 18,023 participants, sedentary lifestyle was positively associated with the prevalence of thyroid nodules, with ORs (95%CIs) of 1.23 (1.05–1.43), 1.69 (1.45–1.96), and 1.74 (1.49–2.03) for those with daily sedentary time of 2 ~ 4h, 4 ~ 6h, >6h compared with < 2h group (P-trend < 0.01). The three estimates (i.e., 1.29, 1.92, and 1.96 respectively) were stronger among the participants with thyroid nodules of TI-RADS-2 stage compared with other groups. Stratified analysis also indicated a modification effect of age, with the estimates for participants aged ≥ 50 being 1.21, 1.79 and 2.00, compared with 1.04, 1.29 and 1.31 among those aged 35 ~ 49, and 1.13, 1.37 and 1.34 among those under 34 years old (P-interaction = 0.012). Conclusions A sedentary lifestyle may be associated with increased prevalence of thyroid nodules among government staff, with the elderly being the most vulnerable. The sedentary lifestyle should be modified to promote their well-being.