Journal Article

Device-measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour and cardiometabolic health and fitness across occupational groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Prince, Stephanie A., Visintini, Sarah, Elliott, Cara G., Scott, Kyle, Reed, Jennifer L.

2019

Overview

Background With approximately 8 hours of one’s waking day spent at work, occupational tasks and environments are important influencers on an individual’s physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours. Little research has compared device-measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour and cardiometabolic outcomes between occupational groups. Objective To compare device-measured movement (sedentary time [ST], light intensity physical activity [LPA], moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity [MVPA], and steps) across occupations. The secondary objective was to examine whether cardiometabolic and fitness outcomes differed by occupation. Methods Five bibliographic databases were searched to identify all studies which included working age, employed adults from high-income countries, and reported on device-measured movement within occupations. Risk of bias within and across studies was assessed. Results were synthesized using meta-analyses and narrative syntheses. Results The review includes 132 unique studies with data from 15,619 participants. Working adults spent ~ 60% of their working and waking time engaged in sedentary behaviour; a very small proportion (~ 4%) of the day included MVPA. On average, workers accumulated 8124 steps/day. Office and call center workers’ steps/day were among the lowest, while those of postal delivery workers were highest. Office workers had the greatest ST and the lowest time in LPA both at work and during wakeful time. However, office workers had the greatest minutes sent in MVPA during wakeful hours. Laborers had the lowest ST and spent a significantly greater proportion of their work time in LPA and MVPA. Healthcare and protective services workers had higher levels of LPA at work compared to other occupations. Workers in driving-based occupations tended to have a higher body mass index and blood pressure. Conclusion This review identifies that occupational and wakeful time PA and ST differed between occupations. Future studies are needed to assess whether patterns differ by age and sex, describe leisure-time movement and movement patterns, and the relationship with cardiometabolic health. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42017070448 .

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Analysis / Behavior / Behavioral Sciences / Blood Pressure / Body Mass Index / Call centers / Clinical Nutrition / Customer services / Depression (Mood disorder) / Dry cleaners / Employment / Exercise / Exercise - physiology / Fitness Trackers / Future predictions / Health aspects / Health care industry / Health Promotion and Disease Prevention / health services / High income / Humans / Leisure / Lifestyles / light intensity / Meat processing / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Meta-analysis / Mortality / Motor activity / Nurses / Obesity / Occupation / Occupations / Occupations - statistics & numerical data / Office workers / Online databases / physical activity / Physical fitness / Postal employees / Public health / Review / risk / Risk factors / Sedentary Behavior / Sedentary behaviour / sedentary lifestyle / Systematic review / Workers / Working hours / Workplace