Sedentary Behaviors, Leisure-Time Physical Inactivity, and Chronic Diseases in Brazilian Workers: A Cross Sectional Study

• DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2012-0423
• Publication Date: 2014-04-14T14:37:12Z
• Authors: Leandro Martin To...; Kelly Samara da S...; Giovâni F. Del Duca; Filipe Ferreira d...; Markus Vinicius N...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; 2. Zero hunger; Health Behavior; Hypercholesterolemia; Middle Aged; Body Mass Index; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Leisure Activities; Logistic Models; 0302 clinical medicine; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Chronic Disease; Hypertension; Humans; Female; Obesity; Sedentary Behavior; Brazil; Occupational Health

Background:Our purpose was to examine the association of television viewing (hours/day), sedentary work (predominantly sitting at work), passive transportation to work (car or motorcycle), and the clustering of these behaviors (“sedentary lifestyle”), as well as leisure-time physical inactivity (LTPI), with chronic diseases (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and clustering of chronic diseases) in Brazilian workers.Methods:Cross-sectional study conducted from 2006 to 2008 in 24 Brazilian federal units (n = 47,477). A questionnaire was applied. Descriptive statistics, binary and multinomial logistic regressions were used.Results:Magnitude of association with chronic diseases varied greatly across domains and gender. Sedentariness at work was the most consistent behavior associated with chronic diseases, especially in men (ORhypertension = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01–1.20; ORhypercholesterolemia = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.21–1.48; ORobesity = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.15–1.41; OR1chronic disease = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.09–1.26; OR≥2chronic diseases = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.46–1.78) compared with women (ORhypercholesterolemia = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01–1.31; ORobesity = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04–1.48). LTPI was associated with all diseases in men (except type 2 diabetes), but only with obesity in women.Conclusion:Adverse health consequences may be differently associated according to behavior domain and gender. Sedentary work and LTPI were consistently associated with chronic disease in Brazilian workers, especially in men.