Healthcare, Vol. 13, Pages 3041: Prevalence of Varicose Veins Among Teaching Professionals and Their Impact on Quality of Life and Job Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study

Healthcare doi: 10.3390/healthcare13233041

Authors:
Safaa M. Elkholi
Danah Alotaibi
Reem Alrashdi
Reema Bin Subeh
Hajer Aljudeie
Rema Aljabr
Eman M. Mortada
Reem M. Alwhaibi

Background: Varicose veins (VVs) are a chronic venous condition that can negatively affect mobility, psychosocial health, and occupational function, especially in professions involving prolonged standing or sitting. Teaching professionals are particularly at risk due to static postural demands and limited workplace ergonomic support. Objective: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of VVs among teaching professionals in Saudi Arabia and assess their impact on quality of life (QoL) and job performance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted employing a stratified convenience sampling strategy among 400 school and university educators across different regions of Saudi Arabia. Data collection took place over four months, from mid-January to end-April 2025. Data were collected through a validated self-administered online questionnaire comprising demographic information and three standardized tools: The Arabic version of the Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire (AVVQ), the World Health Organization Quality of Life–BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), and Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ). Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, chi-square, and correlation were used for analysis. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (IRB Log Number: 25-0008). Results: The prevalence of VVs was 18.8%. Male gender, prolonged static postures, and obesity were significantly associated with higher VV rates (p < 0.05). Logistic regression identified gender as the only independent predictor of VV presence (p < 0.001). Participants with VVs reported significantly lower QoL across all WHOQOL domains and reduced work performance scores. Two-way ANOVA showed a significant main effect of gender on work performance (p = 0.002), while VV status and occupation showed no significant interaction effects. VV severity was negatively correlated with job performance (r = −0.138, p = 0.006), while QoL positively correlated with performance (r = 0.149, p = 0.003). University faculty demonstrated significantly higher VV severity than schoolteachers (p = 0.013). Conclusions: It is concluded that the prevalence of varicose veins among teaching professionals in Saudi Arabia is associated with significantly lower quality of life and reduced work performance, highlighting the occupational impact of the condition. Preventive workplace interventions and further longitudinal research are recommended to confirm and expand these findings.

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Safaa M. Elkholi www.mdpi.com