Combined Associations of Regular Exercise and Work-related Moderate-to-vigorous Physical Activity with Occupational Stress Responses: a Cross-sectional Study

Overview

Journal Front Sports Act Living

Date 2024 May 24

PMID 38783865

Authors

Takafumi Abe

Kenta Okuyama

Atsushi Motohiro

Daijo Shiratsuchi

Minoru Isomura

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: The association between work-related moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and higher levels of stress response is recognized, but whether this association is moderated by regular exercise remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated whether exercise-based physical activity (PA) associates with lower levels of stress responses moderated by work-related MVPA.

Methods: The study participants comprised 863 workers from 35 small and medium-sized enterprises in Shimane prefecture, Japan, collected through convenient sampling from April 2021 to August 2022. The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to assess stress responses. Work-related MVPA and exercise-based PA were measured using questionnaires. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the combined variables of work-related MVPA and exercise-based PA. The reference group had no weekly exercise-based PA and >60 min of work-related MVPA.

Results: When work-related MVPA exceeded 60 min/day, flexibility activity or walking for ≥5 days/week (= -3.53, 95% CI = -5.96, -1.11; = -2.53, 95% CI = -4.90, -0.16) and muscle-strengthening activity 1-3 times/week (= -3.52, 95% CI = -6.91, -0.12) were significantly associated with lower psychological stress response. Flexibility activity (= -1.74, 95% CI = -3.01, -0.46) showed a similar link with physical stress response. When work-related MVPA was below 60 min/day, flexibility activity (= -3.23, 95% CI = -6.01, -0.44; = -3.29, 95% CI = -5.94, -0.63) or walking (= -4.03, 95% CI = -6.62, -1.45; = -3.10, 95% CI = -5.76, -0.44) practice 1-4 times/week and ≥5 times/week was significantly associated with lower psychological stress response.

Conclusion: Exercise-based PA greatly and consistently associates with a lower level of stress responses moderated by work-related MVPA.

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