2025 Volume 31 Issue 1 Pages 13-23
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between workers’ overall physical activity level, combining leisure-time physical activity and daily step counts, and the prevalence of hypertension, through a large-scale survey of middle-aged and older workers across Japan.
Physical activity, which could potentially prevent hypertension, is in short supply and is a public health problem that should be addressed on a global scale. However, limited research has investigated the association between overall physical activity, which combines leisure-time physical activity and daily step count, and hypertension prevalence. The study participants were middle-aged and older workers at workplaces throughout Japan. The study participants were 5,812 individuals who agreed to use anonymized data and responded to a comprehensive version of the Health Advice Service Check Sheet.
When comparing the group with low leisure-time physical activity and low daily step counts, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for the high leisure-time physical activity and low daily step count group was 0.77 (0.61–0.98), the low leisure-time physical activity and high daily step count group was 0.95 (0.78–1.16), and the high leisure-time physical activity and high daily step count group was 0.72 (0.57–0.90). When leisure-time physical activity and daily step counts were analyzed together, the lowest prevalence of hypertension was observed in those with high leisure-time physical activity and high daily step counts. These results suggest the importance of increasing physical activity to prevent hypertension among Japanese workers.
