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  • 1249 Improvements in biomarkers of inflammation and health after an employer-motivated leisure time physical activity program: a 15-month follow-up study

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Health Services Research
1249 Improvements in biomarkers of inflammation and health after an employer-motivated leisure time physical activity program: a 15-month follow-up study
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  1. Marit Skogstad1,
  2. Lars-Kristian Lunde2,
  3. Bente Ulvestad1,
  4. Hans Christian Aass3,
  5. Elin Einarsdottir4,
  6. Reidun Øvstebø3,
  7. Jose Hernán Alfonso1,
  8. Thomas Clemm5,
  9. Asgeir Mamen6,
  10. Øivind Skare1
  1. 1Dept Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway
  2. 2Dept for Work Psychology and Physiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway
  3. 3The blood cell research group, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevaal, Norway
  4. 4Dept of Chemical and Biological Work Environment, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway
  5. 5Occupational Health Service department, Mesta AS, Rådal, Norway
  6. 6Kristiania University College, Norwegian School of Health Sciences, Oslo, Norway

Abstract

Background Manual workers are physically active during work-shift, but they run a higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared to higher educated office workers. Whilst manual workers with regular physical activity during leisure time may have a lower risk, the long-term effects of employer-motivated physical activity during leisure time have not been extensively evaluated.

We aimed to evaluate health effects of employer motivated leisure physical activity (PA) one year after a PA-program, and to study differences between high and low educated participants.

Methods We examined 121 employees in road maintenance before and after an 8 week PA-program. After 15 months, we reexamined 98 participants. We divided self-reported PA-levels into;

  • physical activity ≤1 time per week,

  • 2–3 times per week and

  • ≥4 times a week and registered high and moderate intensity activity after a 15 month follow–up.

We obtained blood pressure, resting heart rate (RHR), blood samples (lipids, glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP) and selected biomarkers), and applied mixed models to evaluate associations between PA and health parameters.

Results The PA-program yielded favourable health outcomes. Not all were sustainable at the 15 month follow-up. Physical activity was back to baseline values. The diastolic blood pressure increased among men during the 15 month follow-up. Favourable effects on lipids were only maintainable among those who were regularly physical active. Compared to baseline, HbA1c, CRP (log) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were reduced significantly at the 15 month follow-up of 0.06 mmol/L (95% CI: −0.11 to −0.01), 0.25 mg/L (95% CI: −0.46 to −0.04) and 0.39 pg/mL (95% CI: −0.75 to −0.04). Inflammatory markers such as CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α decreased among the low educated men during follow-up.

Conclusion We found a reduction of HbA1c, CRP and IL-6, mostly pronounced among individuals who remained physically active throughout the 15 months, one year after termination of the PA- program motivated by employer. Manual workers benefit from workplace PA-programs.

  • employer-motivated physical activity program
  • cardiovascular health
  • follow-up study

https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2018-ICOHabstracts.463

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