目的：肥胖是可預防的危險因子，近年來許多研究指出，肥胖是心血管疾病、糖尿病、高血壓、高血脂的主要危險因子。肥胖已成為現代一個重要的公衛議題。此外，白血球計數已在許多研究中證實與疾病相關，但在這些研究中，尚未定義白血球計數對於肥胖的可能影響。因此在這項研究中，我們的目的便是評估醫院員工白血球指數的高低對於肥胖之影響。
方法：本研究為橫斷性研究，分析2015至2019年北部某醫學中心員工之健檢資料，以身體質量指數(BMI)≧27作為肥胖切點，並將參與者分為肥胖及非肥胖兩組以及依白血球數量分為高、中、低三組。以T檢定、卡方檢定及單因子獨立變異數分析衡量肥胖與白血球計數及代謝危險因子的相關性。最後再以多變項邏輯斯迴歸分析白血球計數及代謝危險因子的異常與肥胖之間的關聯性。
結果：共有9200位醫療從業人員納入統計分析，平均年齡41.94歲，男性30.41%及女性16.94%屬於肥胖族群。肥胖族群與非肥胖族群的年齡、血壓、腰圍、身體質量指數、麩胺酸丙酮酸轉氨基酵素、空腹血糖、血脂肪及尿酸在兩組中皆達顯著差異。在白血球三組的血壓、腰圍、身體質量指數、麩胺酸丙酮酸轉氨基酵素、空腹血糖、血脂肪及尿酸亦有統計上之顯著差異。以多變項邏輯斯迴歸分析調整干擾因子後，顯示白血球是肥胖的獨立危險因子。
結論：在我們的研究中，較高的白血球數量與肥胖密切相關，因此白血球可能是一個評估肥胖風險有用的生物標記。

Background and purpose: Obesity is an important preventable cause of death and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases . In many studies, white blood cell (WBC) count have been associated with some diseases, but in these studies, the possible effects of WBC on obesity have not been defined. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of WBC on obesity in hospital employees.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited hospital employees between 2015 and 2019. A total of 9200 hospital employees in northern Taiwan with average age of 41.94 years old were enrolled for analysis. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI)≧27 and participants were divided into 2 groups, obesity and non-obesity groups. And there were also divided into 3 groups, the low, middle and high WBC groups. T- test , Chi-square test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the demographic and clinical lab characteristics. Finally, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to establish the relationship between WBC and obesity.
Result: The prevalence of obesity were 30.41% in men and 16.94% in women. Age, systolic blood pressure(SBP), diastolic blood pressure(DBP), waist circumference(WC), BMI, alanine aminotransferase( ALT), fasting plasma glucose(FPG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL), triglycerides(TG) and uric acid(UA) were statistically significant difference between obesity and non-obesity groups. High WBC group had significant difference in SBP, DBP, WC, BMI, ALT, FPG, HDL, LDL, TG and UA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that high WBC were independent risk factors for obesity after adjusting confounding risk factors.
Conclusion: In our study, higher WBC level was strongly associated with obesity. WBC might be a useful biomarker to evaluate the risk of obesity.