Long-term sickness absence from work due to physical inactivity: A registry-based study.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Leisure-time physical inactivity is a growing concern in working populations.
• Understanding its impact on sickness absence is crucial for workforce health.
• Previous research has suggested a link, but robust data on long-term absence is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between leisure-time physical inactivity and long-term sickness absence.
• To examine both the incidence and duration of sickness absence in relation to physical activity levels.
• To analyze data from a representative sample of the working-age population.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey and the DREAM registry.
• Employed logistic and Poisson regression to analyze the association between physical inactivity and sickness absence incidence and duration.
• Applied a combined hurdle model to estimate differences in mean absence weeks.

Main Results:

• Physically inactive individuals exhibited a 27% higher incidence of long-term sickness absence.
• Inactive individuals experienced longer sickness absence periods (2.5 weeks more) compared to moderately and highly active individuals.
• Adjusting for social and health behaviors rendered the observed associations statistically insignificant.

Conclusions:

• Physical inactivity is linked to a higher incidence and longer duration of long-term sickness absence.
• The impact of physical inactivity on sickness absence is influenced by social and health behaviors.
• Promoting physical activity may be beneficial for reducing sickness absence, but confounding factors are significant.