Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32690043›Full record

ArticleThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2020

The physical activity paradox revisited: a prospective study on compositional accelerometer data and long-term sickness absence.

Nidhi Gupta, Sofie Dencker-Larsen, Charlotte Lund Rasmussen, Duncan McGregor, Charlotte Diana Nørregaard Rasmussen, Sannie Vester Thorsen, Marie Birk Jørgensen, Sebastien Chastin, Andreas Holtermann

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In one paragraph

Article in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
58citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

58 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  14. Cardiovascular load and physical capacity in older workers engaged in physically demanding occupations.International archives of occupational and environmental health · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Nidhi GuptaNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark. ngu@nfa.dk.ORCID 0000-0002-0035-9342
Sofie Dencker-LarsenNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Charlotte Lund RasmussenNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Duncan McGregorSchool of Health and Life Science, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, Scotland.
Charlotte Diana Nørregaard RasmussenNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Sannie Vester ThorsenNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Marie Birk JørgensenOccupational Health and Safety, Department of Ergonomic and Technical Counselling, Municipality of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sebastien ChastinSchool of Health and Life Science, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, Scotland.
Andreas HoltermannNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe 'physical activity paradox' advocates that leisure physical activity (PA) promotes health while high occupational PA impairs health. However, this paradox can be explained by methodological limitations of the previous studies-self-reported PA measures, insufficient adjustment for socioeconomic confounding or not addressing the compositional nature of PA. Therefore, this study investigated if we still observe the PA paradox in relation to long-term sick absence (LTSA) after adjusting for the abovementioned limitations.

methodsTime spent on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and remaining physical behaviors (sedentary behavior, standing, light PA and time in bed) at work and in leisure was measured for 929 workers using thigh accelerometry and expressed as isometric log-ratios (ilrs). LTSA was register-based first event of ≥6 consecutive weeks of sickness absence during 4-year follow-up. The association between ilrs and LTSA was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for remaining physical behaviors and potential confounders, then separately adjusting for and stratifying by education and type of work.

resultsDuring the follow-up, 21% of the workers experienced LTSA. In leisure, more relative MVPA time was negatively associated with LTSA (20% lower risk with 20 min more MVPA, p = 0.02). At work, more relative MVPA time was positively associated with LTSA (15% higher risk with 20 min more MVPA, p = 0.02). Results remained unchanged when further adjusted for or stratified by education and type of work.

conclusionThese findings provide further support to the 'PA paradox'.

Indexed as

ExerciseLeisure ActivitiesSedentary BehaviorWorkplaceAccelerometryAdultDenmarkFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProportional Hazards ModelsProspective StudiesSick LeaveSocial ClassWearable Electronic DevicesAccelerometersOccupational healthPhysical activityRegister-based sickness absenceSedentary behaviorSick leaveTime-use epidemiology

Identifiers

PMID32690043
PMCPMC7370435

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.