Leisure-time and commuting physical activity and subsequent sickness absence among young and early midlife employees:...

We examined leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and active commuting (AC) and their associations with subsequent sickness absence (SA) among young and early midlife employees.

The 2017 Helsinki Health Study survey among employees of the City of Helsinki aged 19-39 was prospectively linked to register-based data on total, short- and long-term SA spells (2017-2020). LTPA (n=3618) and AC (n=3513) were assessed as weekly metabolic equivalent (MET) hours in 2017. LTPA was categorized into five groups based on intensity and weekly volume (inactivity, moderate, moderate-to-vigorous, vigorous and high vigorous) and AC into four groups (inactive, low moderate, moderate-to-vigorous, vigorous). Analyses were stratified by sex and adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors using negative binomial regression to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Women had more SA than men (135 vs 97 days per 10 person-years; p<0.001). Women with moderate-to-vigorous LTPA had, compared to the inactive, lower rates of total SA (IRR 0.69, 95% CI 0.60-0.80) short SA and long SA after full adjustments for covariates. Men with vigorous LTPA remained protective in total SA days (IRR 0.60, 95% CI 0.44-0.81) and short SA spells after adjustment. For AC, protective associations were observed only among women.

LTPA including vigorous-intensity activity was associated with lower SA over the follow-up, although patterns differed by sex and activity level. Associations for AC were weaker and confirmed for women only. Vigorous-intensity physical activity may be beneficial for reducing SA already in early working life.