Associations Between Work Style and Nonoccupational Physical Activity Among Older Workers

Employment among older adults has been increasing; however, its association with daily activities remains unclear. This study examined the associations between working condition categories and nonoccupational physical activity among older workers in Japan.

This cross-sectional study used the baseline data from the Wako Cohort Study conducted in 2023. Of the 6429 older respondents, we analyzed 1689 older workers (age range: 65-91). They were categorized by their paid work hours (full time: ≥20 h/wk, part time: <20 h/wk) and the presence or absence of occupational physical activity. A questionnaire combining the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and International Physical Activity Questionnaire long form was used to assess occupational, leisure-time, household, and transport-related physical activity. A 2-part model was fitted to analyze the binary (engagement vs nonengagement) and continuous outcomes of nonoccupational physical activity.

Compared with part-time work involving occupational physical activity, full-time work with and without occupational physical activity showed significantly lower odds of engaging in leisure-time physical activity (odds ratio: 0.62; 95% CI, 0.42-0.91 and 0.54; 95% CI, 0.35-0.84, respectively). Full- and part-time work hours without occupational physical activity had a lower odds ratio of engaging in household physical activity (odds ratio: 0.35; 95% CI, 0.22-0.56 and 0.31; 95% CI, 0.19-0.50, respectively). In addition, they were associated with lower levels of total nonoccupational physical activity (mean ratio: 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71-0.98 and 0.72; 95% CI, 0.61-0.86, respectively).

Working condition categories can reflect the physical activity characteristics of older workers outside their work hours.