Work-Recreation Balance, Health-Promoting Lifestyles and Suboptimal Health Status in Southern China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Zhengzheng Xuan,Fei Li,Ren Luo,Wei Xiao,Pingping Jiang,Shengwei Wu,Yanyan Liu,Hiuyee Kwan,Xiaoshan Zhao,Lei Xiang,Jieyu Chen,Xiaoli Nie,Xiuqiong Fu,Xiaomin Sun

doi:10.3390/ijerph13030339

Abstract

Suboptimal health status (SHS)—an intermediate state between health and illness—refers to functional somatic symptoms that are medically undiagnosed. Although SHS has become a great challenge for global public health, very little about its etiology and mechanisms are known. Work-recreation balance is a part of work−life balance, and is related to stress which greatly influences health status. We therefore carried out a cross-sectional investigation between 2012 and 2013 within a clustered sample of 24,475 individuals aged 15−60 years from a population in southern China. In so doing, we hoped to illuminate the associations between work-recreation balance conditions, healthy lifestyles, and SHS. Work-recreation balance conditions were categorically defined by frequency (“rarely, sometimes, or always”). Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP-II) was used to evaluate the level of healthy lifestyles, and the medical examination report and Sub-Health Measurement Scale V1.0 (SHMS V1.0) were both used to evaluate health status. The ratio of SHS (46.3%) is higher than health status (18.4%) or disease status (35.3%). Overall, 4.9% of respondents reported the lowest level of work-recreation balance, and they scored lower on both the HPLP-II and SHMS V1.0 compared with those who frequently maintained a work-recreation balance. Significant association was found between work-recreation balance behaviors and healthy lifestyles (p < 0.001) after demographic adjustment. In comparison with those reporting a frequent work-recreation balance, individuals whose work-recreation balance was categorically “rare” were 1.69 times as likely to develop SHS (odds ratio (OR): 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.49–1.92), and those with infrequent work-recreation balance (“sometimes”) were 1.71 times more likely to develop SHS (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.62–1.81). These findings suggest that work-recreation balance conditions are significantly associated with, and seem to be accurate behavioral indicia of a healthy lifestyle. Poor work-recreation balance is associated with increased risk for SHS; thus, a healthier lifestyle that maintains a work-recreation balance should be promoted in order to reduce the development of SHS or disease in southern China.

Highlights

Due to the rapid development of the social economy and the accelerating rhythm of life, tasks and targets keep springing up both in work and daily life
The respiratory, digestive, endocrine, and autoimmune systems were involved according to major disease reported, and included chronic rhinitis (10.7%), chronic pharyngolaryngitis (9.5%), chronic gastritis (4.6%), gynecopathia (4.3%), chronic insomnia
Compared with habitual work-recreation balance keepers, those with the lowest work-recreation balance frequency were approximately 388 times more likely to exhibit a poor health-promoting lifestyle (odds ratio (OR) 388.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 160.03–940.84); individuals who infrequently kept work-recreation balance were almost 132 times more likely to exhibit a poor health-promoting lifestyle

Summary

Introduction

Due to the rapid development of the social economy and the accelerating rhythm of life, tasks and targets keep springing up both in work and daily life. Disruptions of worklife balance, which result in dissatisfaction, depression and intense pressure, have become a pervasive social issue. Worklife balance is defined as individuals being able to properly prioritize activities related to their job, family, community, and self-development [1]. Worklife conflict can be regarded as a work-related stressor, which is associated with health problems [2,3]. Previous studies have provided evidence of associations between poor worklife balance and health complaints, e.g., based on self-reported health measures [4,5], as well as psychological strain and distress [6,7], depression and mental health disorders [8,9], burnout [10,11], psychosomatic symptoms including lack of appetite and fatigue [12], etc.

Results

Discussion

Conclusion