Occupational and Leisure Physical Activity on Cardiovascular Risk and Body Composition Among Courier Workers

  • Galmes-Panades, Aina Maria PhD
  • Abbate, Manuela PhD
  • Bennasar-Veny, Miquel RN, PhD
  • López-González, Angel Arturo PhD
  • Vicente-Herrero, María Teófila PhD
  • Busquets-Cortés, Carla PhD
  • Leiva, Alfonso PhD
  • Yañez, Aina María PhD

  • 1CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

    2Research Group on Nutritional Epidemiology & Cardiovascular Physiopathology (NUTRECOR), 219656Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), University Hospital Son Espases (HUSE), Palma, Spain

    3Research Group on Global Health and Lifestyle (EVES), 219656Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), University Hospital Son Espases (HUSE), Palma, Spain

    4Nursing and Physiotherapy Department, 16745Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Spain

    5CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 117368Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain

    6Prevention of Occupational Risks in Health Services, 88144Balearic Islands Health Service, Palma, Spain

    7Escuela Universitaria ADEMA, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

    8Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias de la Salud (IUNICS), 16745Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Spain

    9Occupational Health Service, Correos Group, Valencia, Spain

    10Universidad Internacional de la Rioja, Madrid, Spain

    11Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, 88144Balearic Islands Health Services (IbSalut), Palma, Spain

    12Network for Research on Chronicity, Primary Care, and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Palma, Spain

Miquel Bennasar-Veny, RN, PhD, Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), Cra. de Valldemossa Km 7,5, Palma 07122, Spain. Email: [email protected]

† Aina Maria Galmes-Panades and Manuela Abbate contributed equally to the manuscript.

Biological Research for Nursing 24(4):p 560-572, October 2022. | DOI: 10.1177/10998004221105535

Objective

There is some controversy about the beneficial effects of occupational physical activity (OPA) on cardiovascular risk (CVR). The main aim of this study was to explore the effect of the combination of different frequencies of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and two types of OPA on CVR and body composition, and whether the association between physical activity (PA) and CVR was mediated by visceral adipose tissue (VAT).

Methods

This cross-sectional study included data from 2516 couriers living in Spain, delivering either by motorbike or foot, and practicing LTPA never, occasionally, or regularly. Couriers were classified into six categories according to LTPA and OPA; body composition was assessed by Bioelectrical Impedance, and CVR by the Framingham equation. General linear models were performed to explore the association between different categories with each outcome (CVR and body composition) and the possible role of VAT as a mediator between PA and CVR.

Results

Compared with the most sedentary group (motorbike couriers that never practice PA), walking couriers who practice regular PA presented the lowest CVR [β −1.58 (95% CI −2.31; −0.85)] and the lowest VAT [β −2.86 (95% CI −3.74; −1.98) followed by the motorbike couriers who practiced regular PA [β −0.51 (95% CI −1.00; −0.03) for CVR and β −2.33 (95% CI −2.91; −1.75) for VAT]. The association between PA and CVR was partially mediated by VAT.

Conclusion

The present results indicated that both OPA and LTPA are protective factors for CVR and play an important role on VAT accumulation.

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