Aug 2026· Academic Journal of Health Sciences· Vol 41, pp. 492· 0 citations
TL;DR
In this uncontrolled pilot study, a multidisciplinary workplace healthy-aging program was associated with short-term improvements across lifestyle, physical, and mental health outcomes, most consistently retained at five months for Mediterranean-diet adherence, perceived stress, and mental-component quality of life.
Abstract
Introduction: Population aging is reshaping occupational health, as midlife mental health and lifestyle behaviors influence later-life morbidity. This uncontrolled before-after pilot study evaluated whether a multidisciplinary healthy-aging promotion program (nutrition, physical activity, mental health) was associated with changes in physical and mental health among workers from the Spanish chemical industry. Methods: A pilot before-after longitudinal study without a control group in 18 of 29 enrolled workers (62% completion; 66.67% women; median age 47 years [IQR 45.00-50.50]) who completed a 16-week, 22-workshop program on nutrition, physical activity, and stress management. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body fat, visceral fat level, muscle mass, Mediterranean-diet adherence (PREDIMED), physical activity (IPAQ), perceived stress (PSS), and mental-component quality of life (MCS-QoL) were assessed at baseline (T0), program end (T4), and 5 months later (T9), using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (r as effect size); analyzes were exploratory, with significance set at p < 0.05, uncorrected. Results: At T4, body fat, visceral fat level, muscle mass, IPAQ, PREDIMED, PSS, and MCS-QoL improved significantly (r = 0.51-0.81; p ≤ 0.029), with non-significant favorable trends for BMI, waist circumference, or blood pressure. At T9, improvements were sustained for PREDIMED (r = 0.65; p = 0.006), PSS (r = 0.58; p = 0.013), and MCS-QoL (r = 0.55; p = 0.018), with non-significant favorable trends for the remaining variables. Conclusions: In this uncontrolled pilot study, a multidisciplinary workplace healthy-aging program was associated with short-term improvements across lifestyle, physical, and mental health outcomes, most consistently retained at five months for Mediterranean-diet adherence, perceived stress, and mental-component quality of life. Findings are preliminary and hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in controlled studies.
Abstract Introduction Depression and occupational burnout are prevalent mental health challenges in working-age populations and are linked to adverse health behaviors, with these concerns particularly relevant among individuals with obesity. Although prior research suggests associations with eating behaviors and physical activity, most studies rely on cross-sectional designs, leaving the temporal and potentially bidirectional relationships between mental health and health behaviors unclear. Methods This longitudinal study examined bidirectional associations between depressive and burnout symptoms, eating behavior, and physical activity among occupational health clients with obesity (N = 110; BMI 30–40 kg/m2) participating in a 12-month behavioral intervention. At baseline, the mean age was 50.8 years and mean BMI 34.2 kg/m2; 17% were male and most were white-collar workers. Assessments at baseline, 6, and 12 months included depression (BDI-21), burnout (BBI-15), eating competence (ecSI 2.0), dietary behaviors (TFEQ-R18), and physical activity (BHPAQ). A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) was used to examine within-person longitudinal associations. Results Higher depressive symptoms predicted subsequent decreases in eating competence and increases in emotional eating, although the depression–emotional eating association was derived from a traditional CLPM rather than an RI-CLPM model due to convergence issues. Elevated burnout symptoms predicted subsequent increases in emotional eating and decreases in physical activity. In addition, emotional eating predicted later burnout symptoms. No longitudinal associations were observed between depression and physical activity, or between depression or burnout and uncontrolled eating. Discussion Elevated depressive and burnout symptoms may predispose individuals to less healthy behaviors, potentially limiting the effectiveness of health interventions. These findings highlight the interplay between mental health, eating, and physical activity, suggesting that addressing psychological distress in behavior change programs may improve outcomes for individuals with elevated depression and burnout. Clinical trials gov NCT04785586; RR2-10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100638.
Siniriikka A. Männistö, Joona Muotka, L. Suojanen et al.· Health Psychology and Behavi...· 0 citations
Background Sleep is an important regulator of metabolic and cardiovascular health. Insufficient sleep is associated with adverse health behaviors and increased cardiovascular risk in young adults. Understanding sleep patterns and risk awareness in this group is essential for prevention. Methods A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 9,874 final-year Polish secondary school students. The questionnaire assessed sleep duration, physical activity, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, screen time, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure. Associations between weekday sleep duration and lifestyle factors and cardiovascular risk were analyzed. Results Over 46% of students reported sleeping less than 7 h on weekdays, with longer sleep on weekends (6.7 ± 1.3 vs. 9.0 ± 1.5 h, p < 0.001). Short sleep was associated with higher consumption of processed foods, alcohol use, tobacco smoking, lower winter physical activity, and greater screen time. Students sleeping <7 h were more often underweight or obese. Awareness of short sleep as a cardiometabolic risk factor was limited. Conclusions Insufficient sleep is common among Polish young adults and is associated with an unfavorable behavioral and cardiometabolic risk profile.
Dorota Godzina, A. Doryńska, Ludmiła Podgórska-Stawiecka et al.· Frontiers in sleep· 0 citations
Findings indicate MVPA consistent with the U.S. PA Guidelines in sedentary middle-aged adults may decrease depression, HbA1c, and CVD risk and should be a priority amongst providers.
Elizabeth Moxley, S. Henert, Desale Habtezgi et al.· International Journal of Exe...· 0 citations
The COVID‑19 pandemic imposed social distancing measures that negatively affected physical and mental health, increasing sedentary behavior and impairing quality of life (QoL). Regular physical exercise has been recommended as a coping strategy, but few studies have evaluated remote programs implemented during this period. The aim was to evaluate the effect of a remote physical exercise program on the QoL of sedentary adults participating in a university extension project during the pandemic. This is a longitudinal, descriptive, comparative study with 20 volunteers (19 women, 1 man; mean age 45.6±5.6 years) from the Physical Activity in Health Promotion Project at the Federal University of Acre. Physical activity level was assessed by the IPAC (short version VIII) and QoL by the WHOQOL‑BREF, applied before and after six months of intervention. The program consisted of remote classes (40‑60 min, five times/week) with aerobic, resistance, stretching and flexibility exercises, using alternative materials. Statistical analysis used paired t‑test (α=0.05). Significant improvements were observed in Overall Quality of Life (from 3.25±0.85 to 3.75±0.79; p=0.008) and Physical Domain (from 3.25±0.64 to 3.55±0.67; p=0.010). Psychological, social and environmental domains, as well as health satisfaction, showed no statistically significant differences. The remote exercise program contributed to improving overall QoL and physical domain, suggesting that such interventions can be effective strategies to mitigate the effects of social isolation on health. Further studies with control groups and in‑person settings are recommended.
Grissila Manuares Benedito, Lucian Oliveira do Rosário, Quézia Souza Rufino et al.· Revista de Estudos Interdisc...· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Daily time spent in sedentary behavior (SB), sleep, light physical activity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) form the 24-hour movement behavior composition, where more time in one behavior means less time in others. This study employed compositional data analysis to investigate the correlation between sociodemographic and health-related factors and these behaviors among Japanese working-age adults.
METHODS
Using 2023 self-reported survey data from 2718 Japanese adults aged 20-59, we applied compositional multivariate analysis of variance and back-transformed log-ratio differences with 95% bootstrap CI to test variations across sociodemographic (sex, age, marital status, living arrangement, education, income, residential area, and occupational activity type) and health-related factors (body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and the presence of chronic conditions).
RESULTS
Participants spent 29.5%, 33.6%, 0.6%, and 36.3% of their day in SB, sleep, MVPA, and light physical activity. Significant differences were found by sex, age group, marital status, education level, annual household income, occupational activity type, and alcohol consumption. Sex-based differences emerged in MVPA participation, while the 30-39 years age group exhibited lower relative MVPA, and the 50-59 years age group showed higher relative SB. Unmarried status and higher education levels correlated with higher SB and lower light physical activity. Furthermore, higher income, manual labor, and daily drinking were linked to higher MVPA, while desk-based work was associated with more SB. Sleep duration remained relatively consistent across groups.
CONCLUSION
This study identified distinct 24-hour movement profiles across Japanese working-age subgroups. The findings underscore the necessity of considering specific occupational and social contexts to effectively promote healthier daily routines and mitigate health disparities.
Yu-Tai Liu, Ai Shibata, K. Ishii et al.· Journal of Physical Activity...· 0 citations
