Relationships of leisure-time physical activity and work ability between different occupational physical demands in adult working men

Ville Päivärinne,Ari Heinonen,Hannu Kautiainen,Ilkka Kiviranta

doi:10.1007/s00420-019-01410-x

Abstract

PurposeLeisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is known to be associated with positive health benefits, but the role of occupational physical demands remains inconsistent. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between LTPA and work ability in different occupational physical activity (OPA) levels between young adult men.MethodsWe performed physical activity measurements in work and leisure time with the long version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and work ability with the Work Ability Index (WAI) in 921 Finnish employed male volunteer participants. The participants were divided into LTPA tertiles I (< 8 MET-h/week), II (8–28 MET-h/week), and III (> 28 MET-h/week) and OPA tertiles I (0 MET-h/week), II (< 64 MET-h/week), and III (≥ 64 MET-h/week).ResultsThere was a significant relationship between LTPA and WAI in OPA tertiles (adjusted for age, alcohol consumption, working class status, BMI, and employment years). Moreover, each LTPA tertile showed significant linear associations with WAI (P < 0.001).ConclusionLTPA is positively associated with work ability among young adult men. More specifically, the relationships between LTPA and WAI were significantly greater in physically demanding jobs than in more passive jobs. Our results indicate the importance of LTPA, particularly with individuals under higher work-related physical strain.

Highlights

The health benefits of physical activity (PA) are well documented, even though most of the results are restricted to leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) (Warburton et al 2006; Lear et al 2017)
The results indicate that when exposed to different occupational physical activity (OPA) levels, higher LTPA levels were positively associated with Work Ability Index (WAI)
LTPA has a positive association with work ability in young adult men

Summary

Introduction

The health benefits of physical activity (PA) are well documented, even though most of the results are restricted to leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) (Warburton et al 2006; Lear et al 2017). In individuals with low fitness levels, growing evidence emphasizes the role of occupational physical activity (OPA) as . The concept of work ability relates to individual physical and mental capacities and the demands of the job, where it can be used as a tool by professionals for health promotion and disease and injury prevention (Tengland 2011). Previous evidence has shown that more physically active occupations, such as construction, have a higher risk of work-related disability than less physically demanding occupations (Alavinia et al 2009). Work itself is insufficient to prevent decline in work ability; measures to promote work ability should start before middle age, especially among workers in physically demanding jobs (Ilmarinen et al 1997). Work ability can be assessed by the Work Ability Index (WAI), which is a widely used and well-accepted self-reported instrument that measures health and functional capacity via a single dimension of work ability (Ilmarinen et al 2005)

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