Background  Few studies have been conducted on the associations of dietary habits with the risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in employees of chemical companies in northwest China.

Objective  To understand the excess intakes of red meat, offal, and salt, the current status of high normal blood pressure and hypertension detection among employees of a large chemical company in Gansu, China, and to analyze the relationships between different dietary habits and the risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension.

Methods  A large state-owned chemical enterprise in Gansu Province was selected and 914 employees were recruited by age-stratified random sampling. A set of questionnaires and health examination were adopted for the survey. χ² test was used to compare dietary habits. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationships between different dietary habits and the risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in the chemical enterprise employees after including the factors significantly different in the χ² test.

Results  A total of 914 workers completed the survey. Significant differences were found in the distribution of normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, and hypertension among the participants grouped by gender, age, body mass index (BMI), and family history of hypertension (P < 0.001). The excess intake rates of red meat, offal, and salt were 25.4%, 29.0%, and 62.1%, respectively. Significant differences were found in the distribution of normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, and hypertension among the participants grouped by intakes of meat, offal, and salt ( P < 0.001). The highest positive rate of high normal blood pressure was detected in the workers with excess intakes of offal and salt ( P < 0.001). The prevalence rate of hypertension increased with higher intakes of red meat, offal, and salt ( P < 0.001). After adjusting for gender, age, BMI, family history of hypertension, and other factors, the results of logistic regression showed that the risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in workers with excess red meat intake were 1.55 (95%CI: 1.00, 2.38) times and 2.88 (95%CI: 1.63, 5.07) times higher than those in workers with low red meat intake respectively. The risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in workers with excess offal intake were 1.75 (95%CI: 1.12, 2.72) times and 1.87 (95%CI: 1.01, 3.44) times higher than those in workers with no offal intake respectively. The risks of high normal blood pressure and hypertension in workers with excess salt intake were 1.80 (95%CI: 1.22, 2.65) times and 2.59 (95%CI: 1.63, 4.11) times higher than those in workers with moderate salt intake, respectively.

Conclusion  Excessive intakes of red meat, offal or salt are common among the chemical enterprise workers. Excess intakes of red meat, offal, and salt are risk factors for both high normal blood pressure and hypertension. The northwest chemical enterprise should further advocate a healthy and reasonable diet among employees, and propose to reduce the intakes of red meat, offal, and salt.