OCCUPATIONAL STATUS AND OBJECTIVELY MEASURED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR

Abstract

We examined the association of employment status, occupational status and occupational group with objectively measured sedentary time (ST) and physical activity (PA) levels in The Maastricht Study. 1,646 participants (46% men, mean age 60 ± 8 years), who were asked to wear an activPAL accelerometer for 8 days were included. Job descriptions were classified according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations 2008 and the International Socio-Economic Index 2008. Unemployed people (129 min/day) had more PA than employed people (121 min/day) on weekdays. People with low occupational status had less ST (545 min/day) than those with intermediate (570 min/day) and high (585 min/day) occupational status on weekdays. The occupational group “plant and machine operators and assembler” had the most ST (600 min/day) and least PA (112 min/day) during weekdays and weekend days compared to the other occupational groups. Occupational status is an important determinant of physical activity and sedentary behavior.