Occupational physical activity and mortality among Danish workers

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• The link between occupational physical activity (OPA) and mortality is debated, with most studies focusing on men.
• Existing research shows conflicting results regarding OPA's impact on mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between OPA and all-cause mortality in a cohort of male and female workers.
• To explore potential gender differences in the relationship between OPA and mortality.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 5,839 Danish workers (aged 18-59) reported OPA via self-administered questionnaires.
• Mortality data was collected over 19 years through national registry linkage.
• Gender-stratified Cox regression models analyzed the effect of high OPA on all-cause mortality, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

• High OPA was associated with increased all-cause mortality risk in men (HR: 1.79, CI: 1.19-2.70) compared to low OPA.
• No significant association was found between high OPA and all-cause mortality in women (HR: 0.99, CI: 0.65-1.49).
• A potential U-shaped relationship between OPA and mortality was observed in women.

Conclusions:

• High levels of occupational physical activity elevate all-cause mortality risk among male workers.
• Gender-specific effects of OPA on mortality warrant further investigation.
• Understanding these gender differences is crucial for targeted public health interventions.