Associations Between Workplace Exercise Interventions and Job Stress Reduction: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• High job stress negatively impacts worker quality of life, health, and productivity.
• Exercise is a known stress-coping mechanism, but its workplace application is under-researched.
• Workplace exercise interventions are crucial for mitigating job stress and enhancing employee well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature on workplace exercise interventions and their association with job stress reduction.
• To identify the current state of research regarding the efficacy of exercise in reducing occupational stress.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across five major databases (CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase) from January 1990 to October 2018.
• Included studies involved workplace exercise interventions with pre- and post-intervention job stress measurements.
• Study quality was assessed using van Tulder's risk of bias tool.

Main Results:

• Eight studies met the inclusion criteria; six (75%) were of good quality.
• Only two studies (25%) demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in job stress.
• The literature provides insufficient evidence on the relationship between workplace exercise and job stress reduction.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence suggests a limited association between workplace exercise interventions and significant job stress reduction.
• Future research should prioritize randomized controlled trials.
• Interventions combining exercise with multidimensional strategies are recommended for effective job stress management.