Background: Employment conditions may affect individuals' leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). We aimed to examine the relationship between changes in working and employment conditions and LTPA among working-age populations in South Korea from 2009 to 2019.
Methods: A cohort of 6,553 men and 5,124 women aged 19-64 years was analyzed using linear individual-level fixed-effects regressions to examine changes in working and employment conditions with changes in LTPA.
Results: Reduced working hours, labor union membership, and part-time work were associated with increased LTPA for both sexes. Manual labor and self-reported precarious work were associated with reduced LTPA. The longitudinal relationship between employment conditions and LTPA was clear in men, but less apparent in women.
Conclusions: Changes in working and employment conditions had longitudinal associations with changes in LTPA among working-age Koreans. Future research should examine changing employment conditions and their effect on LTPA, particularly among women and manual/precarious workers. These results could inform effective planning and interventions to increase LTPA.
Keywords: Employment condition; Leisure-time physical activity; Longitudinal study; South Korea; Working condition.
© 2023. The Author(s).