Association between work-related factors and health behaviour clusters among Finnish private-sector service workers

We examined how work-related factors associate with several health behaviours that appear together among the large, but less-studied, blue- and pink-collar worker group, which is characterized by low education and income levels.

In 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among private sector service workers (n = 5256) in Finland. We applied two-step cluster analysis to identify groups on the basis of leisure-time physical activity, sleep adequacy, frequency of heavy drinking, smoking status, and frequency of fruit, vegetable and berry consumption. We examined the associations with work-related factors, using multinomial regression analyses and adjusting for confounding factors.

We identified six clusters labelled as Moderately Healthy (28% of the participants), Healthy - Vigorous Exercise (19%), Sedentary Lifestyle (16%), Inadequate Sleep (15%), Mixed Health Behaviours (15%), and Multiple Risk Behaviours (8%). Those who perceived their work to be mentally or physically strenuous more commonly belonged to the Inadequate Sleep and Multiple Risk Behaviours clusters. Time pressure made belonging to the Inadequate Sleep, Mixed Health Behaviours, and Multiple Risk Behaviours clusters more likely. Those who were dissatisfied with their work more often belonged to the Healthy - Vigorous Exercise, Inadequate Sleep, and Multiple Risk Behaviours clusters.

In addition of finding several considerably differing health behaviour clusters, we also found that adverse working conditions were associated with clusters characterized by multiple risk behaviours, especially inadequate sleep. Private-sector service workers' working conditions should be improved so that they support sufficient recovery, and occupational health services should better identify co-occurring multiple risk behaviours.