Marvin OnumonuA study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (IJBNPA) has found that first-time employment has a significant impact on health behaviours among young adults.
The study, which included 3,302 participants, assessed daily fruit and vegetable intake, regular physical activity patterns, and daily sleep duration before, immediately after, and over an extended period of time after employment.
Participants reported increased physical activity levels immediately after employment, which decreased over time.
This was particularly evident among male participants, those without a university degree, and those starting lower socio-economic classification jobs.
Participants who started working from home reported an initial reduction in physical activity.
However, those who started working in an office setting reported an initial increase in exercise.
A stable daily sleep duration was observed before starting work, which subsequently decreased immediately after employment and remained unchanged over time.
The reduction in sleep duration immediately after starting work was observed among participants with and without a university degree.
Over time, participants with a university degree exhibited an induction in sleep duration, whereas those without a university degree reported reduced sleep durations.
Initial employment and duration of employment did not have a significant impact on fruit and vegetable consumption among the study cohort.
However, a significant interaction was observed between fruit consumption and education status, as participants without a university degree reported reduced daily fruit intake after employment compared to those with a university degree reporting greater fruit intake.
The study highlighted the need for workplace health promotion interventions to improve health, prevent obesity, and promote positive generational changes.
The IJBNPA said employers and policymakers should consider implementing policies to support employees’ physical activity and healthy eating habits.
The study found that men were more likely to experience a significant increase in physical activity levels after starting work than women.
Those with lower socio-economic positions also experienced an increase in physical activity levels after starting work.
