Key result
Higher occupational physical activity linked to ~16-second shorter exercise duration, contrasting leisure activity benefits.
Why the study?
Differential effects on fitness are hypothesized to contribute to the opposing health effects of leisure-time physical activity and occupational physical activity.
Does occupational physical activity reduce long-term cardiorespiratory fitness compared to leisure-time physical activity in working adults?
Cohort (n=1,315)
Yes
Does occupational physical activity reduce long-term cardiorespiratory fitness compared to leisure-time physical activity in working adults?
The study provides evidence for the 'physical activity paradox', showing that unlike leisure-time activity, occupational physical activity may negatively impact long-term cardiorespiratory fitness.
OPA associated with lower fitness unlike LTPA; hypothesis-generating for the activity paradox and should not yet change practice.
PURPOSE: Differential effects on fitness are hypothesized to contribute to the opposing health effects of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and occupational physical activity (OPA). As such, this study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of fitness with LTPA and OPA. METHODS: This study examined fitness associations with LTPA and OPA across 13 yr in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study (years 7 (baseline), 10, 15, and 20 (follow-up) examinations). Fitness was measured at baseline and follow-up via symptom-limited maximal graded exercise test (GXT) duration (in seconds), whereas LTPA and OPA were self-reported during each examination. Baseline and follow-up cross-sectional associations of LTPA (low, medium, high) and OPA (0, 1-6, and ≥6 months with OPA) with fitness were examined using linear regression. Longitudinal linear regression examined associations between 13-yr LTPA (low, medium, or high) and OPA (no, decreasing, or increasing) trajectories with fitness at follow-up, adjusted for baseline values. All models adjusted for center, sex, race, age, education, smoking history, alcohol intake, resting blood pressure, diabetes status, and body mass index. Stratified analyses examined associations by sex (female/male), race (Black/White), and LTPA groups. RESULTS: Compared with low, medium, and high LTPA were positively associated with fitness in all analyses ( P < 0.001). Reporting 1-6 or ≥6 months with OPA was negatively associated with fitness in cross-sectional follow-up models ( β = -15.6 and -15.4, respectively; P ≤ 0.01). Longitudinally, those with increasing OPA had lower follow-up fitness compared with no OPA ( β = -16.41, P < 0.01). Negative associations of OPA with fitness were not meaningfully different across sex and race groups. Significant LTPA-OPA interactions were observed ( P < 001). CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity research and public health promotion should consider domain-specific associations on cardiovascular health.
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Quinn et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in Working adults (n=1,315). Occupational physical activity vs. No occupational physical activity was evaluated on Cardiorespiratory fitness at follow-up (maximal graded exercise test duration in seconds) (β = -16.41, p=<0.01). Increasing occupational physical activity over 13 years was associated with lower cardiorespiratory fitness at follow-up (β = -16.41, p<0.01), whereas leisure-time physical activity was positively associated with fitness.
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