Relationships between leisure time physical activity and perceived stress

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Behavioral Science
• Stress Management

Background:

• Workplace stress is a significant issue affecting employee well-being and productivity.
• Understanding modifiable lifestyle factors, like physical activity, is crucial for stress mitigation strategies.
• Previous research suggests a link between physical activity and mental health, but specific data on perceived stress in large working populations is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between leisure-time physical activity and perceived stress levels in a large cohort of working adults.
• To quantify the risk reduction for moderate and high perceived stress based on physical activity expenditure.
• To identify potential protective effects of physical activity against work-related stress.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing survey data from 32,229 working adults.
• Data collected on physical activity levels (expenditure in Kcal/kg(-1).day(-1)), perceived stress, health status, demographics, life events, and stress reduction techniques.
• Mantel-Haenszel summary risk estimates were employed to control for confounding variables.

Main Results:

• Employees expending >3.0 Kcal/kg(-1).day(-1) in leisure-time physical activity were 0.78 times less likely to report moderate perceived stress.
• These highly active individuals were 0.62 times less likely to report high perceived stress.
• Working adults with moderate physical activity levels showed approximately half the rate of perceived stress compared to non-participants.

Conclusions:

• Leisure-time physical activity demonstrates a significant dose-response relationship with reduced perceived stress among working adults.
• Promoting physical activity is a viable strategy for mitigating perceived stress in the workplace.
• These findings underscore the importance of incorporating physical activity into employee wellness programs.