Physical leisure-time activities and long-term sick leave: a 15-month prospective study of nurses' aides

The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between physical leisure-time activities and the occurrence of long-term sick leaves in nurses' aides. Of 5563 Norwegian nurses' aides who were not on sick leave when they completed a questionnaire in 1999, 4744 (85.3%) completed a second questionnaire 15 months later. Brisk walks (odds ratio [OR], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63 to 0.98), aerobics or gymnastics (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.49 to 1.02), and other physical leisure activities (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.66 to 1.00) for 20 minutes or more at least once a week predicted fewer long-term sick leaves (> 14 days), after adjustments for baseline health complaints, demographic and familial characteristics, former and current smoking, and work factors. In conclusion, regular physical leisure-time activity may be associated with a reduced risk of long-term sickness absence in nurses' aides.