Leisure-Time Physical Activity and General Health Mitigate Effects of Job Demands on Nonrestorative Sleep: CDC National Healthy Worksite Project.

Abstract

We sought to determine if leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) modified the adverse relationship between high job demands and nonrestorative sleep (NRS). We conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis among workers from the cross-sectional National Healthy Worksite Project (n = 4683) using self-report Likert-Scale data on psychological and physical demands of jobs, LTPA and general health in relation to NRS. Not engaging in LTPA was associated with NRS for workers with jobs at the lowest or highest levels of the physical demand scale (OR 1.64, 95% CI: 0.96-2.81, OR 2.06, 95% CI: 0.95-4.45; respectively) in comparison to those who met LTPA recommendations. When assessing psychological demands, poor general health was associated with NRS at all levels of the scale independent of LTPA. LTPA may reduce NRS for workers with jobs at either extreme of physical demands.