Objective: To compare physical activity (PA) in American high school students who work part-time with those who do not work.
Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003 to 2006 (n = 791). Work status was self-reported and PA was measured using accelerometers.
Results: In males, adjusted for age, race, and poverty-income ratio, workers averaged greater counts per minute, less sedentary time, and greater moderate-to-vigorous PA compared with nonworkers. In females, workers and nonworkers had similar counts per minute, whereas nonworkers had somewhat greater moderate-to-vigorous PA. There was a work-by-school status interaction on sedentary time (P = 0.021), whereby work was associated with less sedentary time among students not on break from school.
Conclusions: In American high school students, work is associated with greater PA in males and a different composition of PA in females.