National Health Statistics Reports 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number 94 n June 10, 2016

Occupational Differences Among Employed Adults
 

Who Met 2008 Federal Guidelines for
 

Both Aerobic and Muscle-strengthening Activities:
 

United States, 2008–2014
 

by Debra L. Blackwell, Ph.D., and Tainya C. Clarke, Ph.D., M.P.H, Division of Health Interview Statistics

Abstract

Objective—This report presents national estimates of occupational differences

among employed adults meeting the 2008 federal guidelines for both aerobic and

muscle-strengthening activities performed during leisure time from 2008 through 2014.

Methods—Using pooled data from the 2008–2014 National Health Interview

Survey, age-adjusted percentages of currently employed adults aged 18–64 who met

the 2008 federal physical activity guidelines for leisure-time aerobic and musclestrengthening activities are shown by occupation, sex, race and Hispanic ethnicity,

education, and hours worked in the week before the survey interview.

Results—Among all employed adults aged 18–64, those in production and

related occupations were the least likely to meet the 2008 federal physical activity

guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities performed during

their leisure time. Across occupation categories, men were more likely than women

to meet the guidelines. Non-Hispanic white adults in professional, teaching or social

service, sales, and services occupations were more likely than non-Hispanic black or

Hispanic adults in those occupations to meet the guidelines. In production and

related occupations, Hispanic adults were less likely to meet the guidelines than

non-Hispanic adults; in managerial occupations, by contrast, all adults were equally

likely to meet the guidelines regardless of their race and ethnicity. The likelihood of

meeting the guidelines uniformly increased as education increased across every

occupation category. Lastly, employees in professional, services, and sales

occupations who worked 50 hours or more in the last week were more likely to

meet the guidelines than their counterparts who worked fewer hours. In production

and related occupations, by contrast, the number of hours worked in the last week

was unrelated to whether adults met the guidelines.

Conclusion—Occupational differences in meeting the 2008 federal guidelines

for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities by sex, race and ethnicity, and

education suggest that disparities in leisure-time physical activities across

occupations and socioeconomic strata exist.

Keywords: work • employment • leisure-time physical activity • National

Health Interview Survey

Introduction

Previous studies have demonstrated

that regular participation in physical

activity lowers the risk of many chronic

conditions, disability, and

mortality (1,2). The 2008 U.S.

Department of Health and Human

Services (HHS) physical activity

guidelines recommend that, for

substantial health benefits, adults

perform at least 150 minutes per week

of moderate physical activity, or 75

minutes per week of vigorous physical

activity, in addition to musclestrengthening activities 2 or more days

per week (3). Healthy People (HP) 2020

considers adequate physical activity a

‘‘leading health indicator,’’ with 20.1%

being the 2020 target for meeting

physical activity guidelines among

adults (4,5). Physical activity that meets

these guidelines can be recreational and

take place strictly during leisure time; it

can be occupational and take place

during the performance of work

(including household tasks); and it can

include walking or cycling specifically

for transportation or commuting, an

activity that is simultaneously nonleisure

and nonoccupational.

Occupational physical activity

contributes less to total physical activity

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

National Center for Health Statistics 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 2 National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016

than it once did, due in large part to

historical and technological changes in

the nature of work in the United States.

Since the 1960s, the United States has

shifted from a goods production

economy, which required moderateintensity physical activity from a

majority of workers, to a service

economy requiring minimal physical

activity from most workers, such that a

majority now perform work that is

largely sedentary (6–8). Consequently,

most adults who currently meet the

2008 federal physical activity guidelines

do so by participating in leisure-time

physical activity (LTPA).

Even though LTPA and occupational

physical activity both contribute to total

physical activity, they may not be

equivalent activities, and even more

importantly, may not have comparable

health benefits. Although previous

research has consistently demonstrated

that LTPA has positive benefits across a

variety of health outcomes, findings

regarding the health benefits of

occupational physical activity have been

somewhat mixed (9–13), with some

studies concluding that occupational

physical activity can have less than

positive effects on various health

outcomes, as well as on mortality (14,15).

Thus, even among adults who are

physically active on the job every

workday, those who engage in LTPA are

likely to report better health than those

who do not.

Understanding occupational

differences in LTPA is important

because a job defines how the average

person spends much of his or her day,

including both work and nonwork time.

Work attributes vary across occupations

and may affect participation in LTPA.

Examples of such variation include the

kind or amount of physical exertion (or

lack thereof) expended while at work

and the number of hours worked per

week (e.g., part- or full-time work, as

well as overtime). These occupationrelated factors may create constraints

that act as barriers to participation in

LTPA (16,17): Adults who are employed

in physically demanding occupations or

who work long hours may be too tired

or not have the time to engage in LTPA

once their workday is over, ultimately

resulting in poorer health outcomes for

U.S. workers in particular occupations.

Using the most recent data

available, this report examines the extent

to which employed U.S. adults aged

18–64 met the federal government’s

physical activity guidelines for both

aerobic and muscle-strengthening

activities, by their occupation and other

selected demographic and

socioeconomic characteristics.

Methods

Data source

Data in this report are from the

combined 2008–2014 National Health

Interview Survey (NHIS), a

multipurpose, cross-sectional health

survey of the U.S. civilian

noninstitutionalized population based on

a stratified multistage sampling design

of U.S. households (18). NHIS is

conducted continuously for the National

Center for Health Statistics by trained

interviewers from the U.S. Census

Bureau. Data are collected in person at

the respondent’s home using computerassisted personal interviewing, but

follow-ups for completing interviews

may be conducted over the telephone if

necessary. The main objective of NHIS

is to monitor the health of the

U.S. population through the collection

and analysis of data on a broad range

of health topics. More information

on NHIS is available from:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm.

The survey consists of both a core

set of questions that remain relatively

unchanged from year to year as well as

supplemental questions that are not

asked every year (19). The core consists

of four main components: Household

Composition Section, Family Core,

Sample Child Core, and Sample Adult

Core. The Household Composition

Section collects basic demographic and

relationship information about all

household members of all families

living in a household at the time of

interview. The Family Core, which is

administered separately for each family in

the household, collects sociodemographic

and basic health information about all

family members.

The Sample Adult Core obtains

additional information on the health of

one randomly selected adult (the

‘‘sample adult’’) in the family. The

sample adult generally responds for

himself or herself, but in rare instances

when the sample adult is mentally or

physically incapable of responding,

proxy responses are accepted. The

Sample Adult Core collects information

on health conditions, functional

limitations, health behaviors (including

LTPA), access to and use of health care

services, and current employment

characteristics (including occupation).

The 2008–2014 NHIS Sample Adult

data files include a total of 215,462

respondents; of these, 118,507 were

aged 18–64 and currently employed

during the week before the NHIS

interview.

Variables of interest

LTPA information is obtained from

a series of questions in the Sample

Adult Core that ask about frequency and

duration of vigorous-intensity physical

activities (‘‘that cause heavy sweating or

large increases in breathing or heart

rate’’), light or moderate-intensity

physical activities (‘‘that cause only

light sweating or a slight to moderate

increase in breathing or heart rate’’), and

muscle-strengthening activities (‘‘such

as lifting weights or doing

calisthenics’’). These questions are all

phrased in terms of current leisure-time

behavior and lack a specific reference

period (e.g., ‘‘How often do you do

vigorous leisure-time physical activities

for at least 10 minutes that cause heavy

sweating or large increases in breathing

or heart rate?’’). Thus, no information is

obtained regarding how long the

respondent has been engaging in LTPA.

Answers could be provided in any time

unit (per day, per week, per month, or

per year). Roughly 2% of currently

employed sample adults aged 18–64

refused to answer or did not know how

much time they spent performing LTPA,

and, thus, could not be coded (n = 2,507).

Responses to these questions were

used to identify sample adults who, in

their leisure time, performed musclestrengthening activities two or more
National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016	 Page 3

times per week and participated in

either moderate-intensity aerobic

physical activity for at least 150 minutes

per week or vigorous-intensity aerobic

physical activity for at least 75 minutes

per week (or an equivalent combination)

—in other words, the group of adults

who met the 2008 physical activity

guidelines for both muscle-strengthening

and aerobic activities (available from:

http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines/),

who are the focus of this report.

Percentages of employed adults aged

18–64 who met the musclestrengthening activity guidelines but not

the aerobic guidelines; who met the

aerobic activity guidelines but not the

muscle-strengthening guidelines; and

who did not meet either set of

guidelines (because they ‘‘never’’

engaged in aerobic or musclestrengthening activities, were unable to

do these activities, or engaged in lesser

amounts of activity that did not satisfy

the guideline requirements) are shown in

Figure 1 but not in subsequent figures.

The HHS federal guidelines for

physical activity were released in 2008

and served as the basis for formulating

the HP 2020 physical activity

objectives (5). Note that these guidelines

include all types of aerobic and

muscle-strengthening activities and are

not restricted to LTPA alone. Because

NHIS physical activity questions ask

only about LTPA, the estimates

presented in this report may

underestimate the proportion of U.S.

adults who meet the HP 2020 physical

activity objectives. The terms ‘‘2008

federal guidelines,’’ ‘‘2008 guidelines,’’

or ‘‘guidelines’’ are used interchangeably to refer to the 2008 Physical

Activity Guidelines for Americans.

The Sample Adult Core also obtains

information from respondents on their

employment status during the week

before the interview as well as their

current industry and occupation. All

currently employed respondents were

asked the name of their employer, the

type of industry in which they worked,

the kind of work they did (i.e., their

occupation), and the important activities

they performed while on the job. Their

verbatim responses were subsequently

assigned to four-digit industry and

occupation codes by Census Bureau

coding specialists. The two-digit detailed

occupation recode available on the

2008–2014 public-use NHIS Sample

Adult files was used to assign

respondents to one of six occupation

categories. This six-category indicator is

intended to distinguish between

occupations in which persons are more

likely to rely on mental attributes or

thought processes (e.g., managerial,

professional, and teaching or social

services work) rather than physical

attributes or repetitive and routinized

processes (e.g., services, sales, and

production and related work). Given

previous research (20–22), the former

occupations are likely to be more

sedentary and the latter less so, with

adults in the production and related

occupations category being least

sedentary and most likely to be engaged

in on-the-job physical labor (although

the placement of transportation

workers—including long-haul truck

drivers—in this category may weaken

this effect). Note that this six-category

occupation indicator is not intended to

be a direct measure of physical activity

at work—at best, it can only imply such

activity. Roughly 2% of all employed

sample adults aged 18–64 did not

supply enough information to receive a

four-digit Census occupation code

(n = 2,264) and could not be coded to

one of the following occupational

categories. The final sample size for this

study included 113,871 adults aged

18–64 with complete information on

occupation and LTPA. Numbers in

parentheses indicate the weighted,

age-adjusted percentage of these adults

in each occupational category:

+	 Managerial occupations: Chief

executives; legislators; advertising,

marketing, promotions, public relations,

and sales managers; operations

specialties managers; and other

management occupations (9.3%).

+	 Professional occupations: Business

and financial specialists; computer,

mathematical, architectural, and

engineering occupations; life science,

physical science, and social science

occupations; lawyers and judges;

health care diagnosing and treating

practitioners; health technologists and

technicians; and other practitioners

and technical occupations (17.0%).

+	 Teaching or social service

occupations: Counselors, social

workers, religious workers, and all

education, training, and library

occupations (8.2%).

+	 Services occupations: Legal support

workers (e.g., paralegals), health care

support workers (e.g., assistants and

aides), and office or administrative

support workers; arts, design,

entertainment, sports, and media

occupations; all protective service

occupations; food preparation and

serving-related occupations; and

personal care and service occupations

(32.4%).

+	 Sales occupations: Retail sales

workers and sales representatives

(services, wholesale, and

manufacturing) (10.5%).

+	 Production and related occupations:

Grounds maintenance workers;

farming, fishing, and forestry

occupations; construction and

extraction workers; installation,

maintenance, and repair occupations;

all production occupations; and all

transportation and material moving

occupations (22.6%).

See Technical Notes for a detailed

breakdown of how this six-category

occupation indicator is created.

Demographic variables

Estimates are shown with respect to

several antecedent or demographic

characteristics that are associated with

either LTPA or occupation, such as sex,

age, race and Hispanic ethnicity,

education, and hours worked in the last

week (before the interview). Most of

these characteristics reflect the

respondent’s status at the time of

interview. Additionally, several

characteristics (i.e., race and Hispanic

ethnicity, education, and hours worked

in the last week) are based on

information obtained in either the

Household Composition or the Family

Core components of the NHIS interview,

where a knowledgeable adult family

member responded on behalf of sample
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 4 National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 1. Age-adjusted percent distribution of participation in leisure-time aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities that met 2008

federal physical activity guidelines among employed adults aged 18–64, by type of occupation: United States, 2008–2014

adults not taking part in these portions

of the interview.

Race and Hispanic ethnicity refers

to adults who indicated a single race

group; separate estimates are shown for

Hispanic, non-Hispanic white, and

non-Hispanic black persons. Adults in

other race and ethnicity groups and

those who are of multiple race are not

included due to smaller sample sizes.

Education is a three-level categorical

variable (high school graduate, General

Educational Development high school

equivalency diploma, or less; some

college but no degree; and bachelor’s

degree or higher), indicating the highest

level of school completed or highest

degree received at the time of interview.

Education is shown for all employed

adults, including those who may still be

continuing their education.

Statistical analysis

The estimates presented in this

report are based on data from the

Sample Adult files of the 2008–2014

NHIS. Respondents with missing data or

unknown information were excluded

from the analysis. Over this survey

period, the conditional response rate for

the Sample Adult interview was 79.3%;

the final response rate was 62.3%. The

7 years of data were combined to

increase the reliability of estimates for

some of the smaller population

subgroups. Reliability of estimates was

evaluated using the relative standard

error (RSE), which is the standard error

divided by the estimate. Estimates with

an RSE greater than 30% and less than

or equal to 50% are preceded by an

asterisk (*) and should be used with

caution. No RSEs are greater than 50%.

Estimates are calculated using the

sample adult sampling weights (adjusted

for the number of survey years

combined in the analysis) and are

representative of the noninstitutionalized

population of U.S. adults aged 18–64.

Unless otherwise indicated, all estimates

are age adjusted using the projected

2000 U.S. population aged 18–64 as the

standard population and age groups

18–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54, and

55–64 (23,24). All estimates and

standard errors used to create the figures

in this report were calculated using

SAS-callable SUDAAN version 11.0.0,

a software package that accounts for the

complex sample design of NHIS (25).

Estimates were compared using

two-sided t tests at the 0.05 level. Terms

such as ‘‘greater than’’ and ‘‘less than’’

indicate a statistically significant

difference. Terms such as ‘‘not

significantly different’’ or ‘‘no

difference’’ indicate that no statistically

detectable differences were seen

between the estimates being compared.

Strengths and limitations of

data

The estimates presented are based

on data collected from a nationally

representative sample of civilian

noninstitutionalized U.S. adults. Using 7

years of combined data yielded a large

sample size, providing reliable estimates

for smaller population subgroups.

Survey questions that were the sources

for the variables used in the analysis did

not change during these 7 years.

Additionally, no significant change was

seen in the prevalence of LTPA during

2008–2014—approximately 21% of U.S.

adults aged 18 and over met the federal

physical activity guidelines for both
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016 Page 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 2. Age-adjusted percentage of employed adults aged 18–64 who met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening federal guidelines

through leisure-time physical activity, by sex and type of occupation: United States, 2008–2014

muscle-strengthening and aerobic

activities in each survey year.

There are several limitations to this

study. NHIS obtains information from

most respondents via an in-person

interviewing process, with a typical

interview averaging about 1 hour. As a

result, all NHIS data are based on

subjective self-reports collected from

Sample Adult respondents. Selfreporting enhances data accuracy to the

extent that respondents willingly provide

information. However, respondents may

provide incorrect information due to

recall issues, because they did not

understand the question, or because they

have different cultural definitions of

some of the concepts used in the survey

questions. As with all surveys,

respondents also may inflate selfassessments of their LTPA to avoid

embarrassment or to create a favorable

impression on the interviewer.

Additionally, although proxy answers

are accepted when the sample adult is

physically or mentally incapable of

self-response, these few sample adults

were not employed and, therefore, not

included in the analytic sample.

Furthermore, NHIS is a crosssectional survey that does not obtain

retrospective information from sample

adults regarding either their occupation

history or how long they have been

engaging in LTPA. Consequently, the

estimates presented in this report can

only be used to understand the extent to

which occupation (reflected in the six

categories used here) and LTPA vary

together; causality or directionality in

the occupation–LTPA relationship cannot

be determined from NHIS data. As

previously noted, the estimates in this

report are also based on physical

activity performed during respondents’

leisure time; no information was

obtained regarding occupation-related,

transportation-related, or other types of

physical activity performed during

nonleisure time. Thus, total physical

activity is underestimated to an

unknown extent. Lastly, NHIS does not

routinely collect information on other

factors that might influence a worker’s

opportunities to engage in LTPA, such

as performing shift work, working at

night, having flexible work schedules, or

having access to employer-provided

health promotion programs (including

fitness facilities in the workplace, gym

discounts, and other similar programs).

Results

Figure 1 shows weighted and

age-adjusted percent distributions of

participation in leisure-time aerobic and

muscle-strengthening activities that met

the 2008 federal physical activity

guidelines for all currently employed

adults aged 18–64, and then type of

occupation. Overall, 42.9% of employed

adults did not meet either guideline, 3.2%

met the muscle-strengthening guideline

only, 29.6% met the aerobic guideline

only, and 24.3% met both guidelines.

Across occupations, 51.4% of adults

employed in production and related

occupations did not meet either

guideline through LTPA, followed by

adults employed in services (45.9%),

sales (42.9%), managerial (35.2%),
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 6 National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3. Age-adjusted percentage of employed adults aged 18–64 who met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening federal guidelines

through leisure-time physical activity, by race and ethnicity and type of occupation: United States, 2008–2014

professional (34.4%), and teaching or

social service occupations (35.3%).

Conversely, adults employed in

professional (31.4%) and managerial

(30.6%) occupations were most likely to

meet the guidelines through LTPA,

followed by adults employed in teaching

or social services (28.7%), sales (25.1%),

services (22.1%), and production and

related occupations (17.5%).

Occupational differences by

sex

Across all occupations, men were

more likely than women to meet the

2008 federal guidelines for both aerobic

and muscle-strengthening activities

(Figure 2). Men employed in managerial

(34.9%), professional (36.9%), and

teaching or social service (37.7%)

occupations were equally likely to meet

the guidelines, followed by men in

services (29.7%), sales (31.3%), and

production and related occupations

(18.5%). A similar pattern was seen

among women: Those employed in

managerial (24.3%), professional

(25.9%), and teaching or social service

(25.1%) occupations were equally likely

to meet the guidelines, followed by

women in services (17.6%), sales

(19.0%), and production and related

occupations (11.4%).

Occupational differences by

race and ethnicity

In general, non-Hispanic white

adults were more likely than either

non-Hispanic black or Hispanic adults to

meet the guidelines for both aerobic and

muscle-strengthening activities

(Figure 3). This was particularly true in

professional, teaching or social service,

and sales occupations. Regarding

services occupations, non-Hispanic

white adults (24.0%) were more likely

to meet the guidelines than nonHispanic black adults (21.2%), who in

turn were more likely to meet the

guidelines than Hispanic adults (17.9%).

This pattern was less pronounced and

not significant among managers,

however. Lastly, in production and

related occupations, non-Hispanic black

(20.7%) and non-Hispanic white

(19.0%) adults were equally likely to

meet the guidelines, and both were more

likely to do so than Hispanic adults

(12.9%).

Among non-Hispanic white adults,

professionals (31.6%) and managers

(33.4%) were equally likely to meet the

guidelines, while professionals (but not

managers) were more likely than

teaching or social service workers

(30.5%) to do so. Moreover, nonHispanic white adults in all three of

these occupations were more likely to

meet the guidelines than sales workers

(27.4%), services workers (24.0%), and

workers in production and related

occupations (19.0%). Among nonHispanic black adults, managers (29.8%)

and professionals (28.3%) were more

likely to meet the guidelines than

workers in the remaining occupational

categories (who were statistically

indistinguishable from one another).

Among employed Hispanic adults,

managers (27.5%), professionals

(28.4%), and teaching or social service

workers (26.5%) were more likely to

meet the guidelines than services

(17.9%) and sales workers (18.9%),
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016 Page 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4. Age-adjusted percentage of employed adults aged 18–64 who met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening federal guidelines

through leisure-time physical activity, by education and type of occupation: United States, 2008–2014

followed by workers in production and

related occupations (12.9%).

Occupational differences by

education

As education increased, the chances

of meeting the 2008 federal guidelines

for both aerobic and musclestrengthening activities increased across

occupations (Figure 4). Managers

(38.0%) and sales (37.5%) workers with

a bachelor’s degree or higher were

equally likely to meet the guidelines,

and both groups were more likely to

meet the guidelines than college

graduates employed in the remaining

occupations. Among employed adults

with the least education, professionals

(21.0%) and managers (19.1%) were

more likely than those in services

(14.6%), sales (14.7%), and production

and related (13.7%) occupations to meet

the guidelines.

Occupational differences by

hours worked

Adults in professional, services, and

sales occupations who worked 50 hours

or more in the last week were more

likely than their counterparts who

worked fewer hours to meet the 2008

federal guidelines for both aerobic and

muscle-strengthening activities

(Figure 5). In managerial occupations,

adults working 50 hours or more in the

last week (35.5%) were more likely than

adults working 35–49 hours (28.4%) to

meet the guidelines. Note that the

percentage for managers working 50

hours or more also is higher than the

percentages for those working 1–19 and

20–34 hours, but these are not

statistically different because there were

relatively fewer part-time managers. In

teaching or social service occupations,

adults working 50 hours or more in the

last week (33.2%) were more likely to

meet the guidelines than adults working

20–34 hours (27.7%) or 35–49 hours

(27.2%), but were not statistically

different from adults working 19 hours

or fewer. In production and related

occupations, the number of hours

worked last week was unrelated to

whether adults met the guidelines.

Among adults working 50 hours or

more in the last week, professionals

(37.6%) were as likely as managers

(35.5%) and more likely than adults in

teaching or social service (33.2%),

services (28.6%), sales (31.8%), and

production and related (17.6%)

occupations to meet the guidelines.

Among adults working fewer than

20 hours in the previous week, teaching

or social service workers (33.1%),

professionals (28.9%), and managers

(29.5%) were equally likely to meet the

guidelines, and more likely than workers

in services (23.0%), sales (23.3%), and

production and related (16.1%)

occupations to meet the guidelines.

Discussion

Across the six broad occupational

categories used in this report, adults

employed in managerial, professional,

and teaching or social service

occupations—representing the more

sedentary occupations—were more

likely to meet the 2008 federal

guidelines for both aerobic and musclestrengthening activities performed

during their leisure time than adults in

the remaining, less sedentary
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 8 National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 5. Age-adjusted percentage of employed adults aged 18–64 who met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening federal guidelines

through leisure-time physical activity, by hours worked in last week and type of occupation: United States, 2008–2014

occupations. Adults employed in

production and related occupations were

the least likely to meet these guidelines,

as previous research has also found

(7,8,21,26). Employed men were more

likely to meet the guidelines than

employed women, and non-Hispanic

white adults in professional, teaching or

social services, sales, and services

occupations were more likely than

non-Hispanic black or Hispanic adults in

those occupations to meet the

guidelines. In production and related

occupations, Hispanic adults were less

likely to meet the guidelines than

non-Hispanic adults, and in managerial

occupations, adults were equally likely,

regardless of their race and ethnicity, to

meet the guidelines. The likelihood of

meeting the guidelines uniformly

increased as education increased. Lastly,

employees in professional, services, and

sales occupations who worked 50 hours

or more in the last week were more

likely than their counterparts working

fewer hours to meet the guidelines. In

teaching or social service occupations,

adults working 50 hours or more were

more likely to meet the guidelines than

adults working 20–49 hours, as were

managers working 50 hours or more

compared with managers working

35–49 hours. In production and related

occupations, the number of hours

worked last week was unrelated to

whether adults met the guidelines. Thus,

working longer hours did not constitute

a barrier to meeting the guidelines for

both aerobic and muscle-strengthening

activities performed during leisure time.

This report suggests that many

employed adults are meeting the HP

2020 objective regarding physical

activity—specifically, that 20.1% of all

adults meet aerobic and musclestrengthening federal guidelines by

2020—while engaging in LTPA (4).

However, some occupational differences

in meeting these guidelines during LTPA

still remain. For example, adults in

managerial and professional occupations

exceeded the guidelines, and, thus, the

HP 2020 objective, at more than 30%.

However, Hispanic adults and women

employed in several occupational

categories (services, sales, and

production and related occupations)

were less likely to meet the guidelines

during LTPA than their counterparts in

managerial, professional, and teaching

or social service occupations. Employed

adults with a high school education or

less were also less likely to meet the

guidelines through LTPA than adults

with more education, regardless of their

occupation. In contrast, across all

occupations—including production and

related occupations—employed adults

who had either attended or graduated

from college were, in most instances,

already well above the HP 2020 target

based on their LTPA alone.

Lastly, while more than one-half of

adults employed in production and

related occupations met neither

guideline, and less than one-fifth met

both guidelines during their leisure time,

note that adults employed in physically

demanding or active jobs may be less

likely to engage in LTPA, which

represents only a part of total physical

activity. Because respondents’ physical

activity performed in the workplace

cannot be directly assessed using NHIS,

occupational physical activity remains

an unmeasured variable. However, the

indicator used in this analysis is
 	 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 

 

 

 

 
 

 
 

	 

 

 

 

 

	 

 

 

 

 

	 

 

 

 

 

	 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	 

 

 

 

 

	 

 

 

 

 

	 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016	 Page 9

structured to distinguish occupations that

are likely to be more sedentary (e.g.,

managers and professionals) from those

that are less sedentary and more active

(e.g., workers in production and related

occupations). The findings in this report,

therefore, suggest that a person’s

occupation—specifically, the type of

work performed on the job—may

constitute a barrier to meeting federal

guidelines for both aerobic and musclestrengthening activities through LTPA.

This may have consequences for

morbidity, disability, and mortality,

particularly if LTPA has more health

benefits than occupational physical

activity, as several previous studies have

concluded (9–15).

References

1.	 Steffen LM, Arnett DK, Blackburn

H, Shah G, Armstrong C, Luepker

RV, Jacobs DR Jr. Population trends

in leisure-time physical activity:

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Med Sci Sports Exerc 38(10):1716–

23. 2006.

2.	 Barnes PM, Schoenborn CA.

Physical activity among adults:

United States, 2000. Advance data

from vital and health statistics; no

333. Hyattsville, MD: National
 

Center for Health Statistics. 2003.
 

3.	 Office of Disease Prevention and

Health Promotion, U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services. 2008

physical activity guidelines for

Americans. Available from: http://

health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/.

4.	 U.S. Department of Health and

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2020 leading health indicators:

Nutrition, physical activity, and

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www.healthypeople.gov/sites/default/

files/HP2020_LHI_Nut_PhysActiv.pdf.

5.	 Schoenborn CA, Adams PF, Peregoy

JA. Health behaviors of adults:

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6.	 Church TS, Thomas DM, TudorLocke C, Katzmarzyk PT, Earnest

CP, Rodarte RQ, et al. Trends over 5

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6(5):e19657. 2011.

7.	 Caban-Martinez AJ, Lee DJ, Fleming

LE, LeBlanc WG, Arheart KL,

Chung-Bridges K, et al. Leisure-time

physical activity levels of the US

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8.	 Brownson RC, Boehmer TK, Luke

DA. Declining rates of physical

activity in the United States: What

are the contributors? Annu Rev

Public Health 26:421–43. 2005.

9.	 Finger JD, Tylleska ̈r T, Lampert T,

Mensink GBM. Physical activity

patterns and socioeconomic position:

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Health 12:1079. 2012.

10. Gutie ́rrez-Fisac JL, Guallar-Castillio ́n

P, Diez-Gan ̃a ́n L, Lo ́pez Garci ́a E,

Banegas Banegas JR, Rodriguez

Artalejo F. Work-related physical

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mass index and obesity. Obes Res

10(4):270–6. 2002.

11. Abu-Omar K, Ru ̈tten A. Relation of

leisure time, occupational, domestic,

and commuting physical activity to

health indicators in Europe. Prev

Med 47(3):319–23. 2008.

12. Barengo NC, Kastarinen M, Lakka T,

Nissinen A, Tuomilehto J. Different

forms of physical activity and

cardiovascular risk factors among

24–64-year-old men and women in

Finland. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev

Rehabil 13(1):51–9. 2006.

13. Hu G, Sarti C, Jousilahti P,

Silventoinen K, Barengo NC,

Tuomilehto J. Leisure time,

occupational, and commuting

physical activity and the risk of

stroke. Stroke 36(9):1994–9. 2005.

14. Beenackers MA, Kamphuis CB,

Giskes K, Brug J, Kunst AE, Burdorf

A, van Lenthe FJ. Socioeconomic

inequalities in occupational, leisuretime, and transport related physical

activity among European adults: A

systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr

Phys Act 9:116. 2012.

15. Oppert JM, Thomas F, Charles MA,

Benetos A, Basdevant A, Simon C.

Leisure-time and occupational

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cardiovascular risk factors and eating

habits in French adults. Public Health

Nutr 9(6):746–54. 2006.

16. Bauman AE, Reis RS, Sallis JF,

Wells JC, Loos RJ, Martin BW.

Correlates of physical activity: Why

are some people physically active

and others not? Lancet
 

380(9838):258–71. 2012.
 

17. Burton NW, Turrell G. Occupation,

hours worked, and leisure-time

physical activity. Prev Med

31(6):673–81. 2000.

18. Parsons VL, Moriarity C, Jonas K, et

al. Design and estimation for the

National Health Interview Survey,

2006–2015. National Center for

Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat

2(165). 2014.

19. National Center for Health Statistics.

Merging data files and combining

years of data in the NHIS (Appendix

IV). In: 2013 National Health

Interview Survey (NHIS) survey

description. Hyattsville, MD:

National Center for Health Statistics.

2014. Available from: ftp://

ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/

NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/NHIS/

2013/srvydesc.pdf.

20. Chau JY, van der Ploeg HP, Merom

D, Chey T, Bauman AE. Crosssectional associations between

occupational and leisure-time sitting,

physical activity and obesity in

working adults. Prev Med 54(3–

4):195–200. 2012.

21. Kirk MA, Rhodes RE. Occupation

correlates of adults’ participation in

leisure-time physical activity: A

systematic review. Am J Prev Med

40(4):476–85. 2011.

22. Kruger J, Yore MM, Ainsworth BE,

Macera CA. Is participation in

occupational physical activity

associated with lifestyle physical

activity levels? J Occup Environ Med

48(11):1143–8. 2006.

23. Klein RJ, Schoenborn CA. Age

adjustment using the 2000 projected

U.S. population. Healthy People

2010 Statistical Notes, no. 20.

Hyattsville, MD: National Center for

Health Statistics. 2001.

24. Day JC. Population projections of the

United States by age, sex, race, and

Hispanic origin: 1995 to 2050. U.S.

Census Bureau, Current Population

Reports, P25–1130. Washington, DC:

U.S. Government Printing Office. 1996.

25. RTI International. SUDAAN

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26. Marquez DX, Neighbors CJ,

Bustamante EE. Leisure time and

occupational physical activity among

racial or ethnic minorities. Med Sci

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Page 10 National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016

Technical Notes

The Table shows how the two-digit detailed occupation recodes available for the National Health Interview Survey’s

2008–2014 public-use Sample Adult files (OCCUPN1) were collapsed into the six occupation categories used in this analysis.

Table. Occupation recode values in public-use Sample Adult files, associated response labels, and resulting analysis category: National

Health Interview Survey, 2008–2014

OCCUPN1

value Response label Occupation category

1 Chief executives, general and operations managers, and legislators Managerial

2 Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers Managerial

3 Operations specialties managers Managerial

4 Other management occupations Managerial

5 Business operations specialists Professional

6 Financial specialists Professional

7 Computer specialists Professional

8 Mathematical science occupations Professional

9 Architects, surveyors, and cartographers Professional

10 Engineers Professional

11 Drafters, and engineering and mapping technicians Professional

12 Life scientists Professional

13 Physical scientists Professional

14 Social scientists and related workers Professional

15 Life, physical, and social science technicians Professional

16 Counselors, social workers, and other community and social service specialists Teaching or social service

17 Religious workers Teaching or social service

18 Lawyers, judges, and related workers Professional

19 Legal support workers Services

20 Postsecondary teachers Teaching or social service

21 Primary, secondary, and special education schoolteachers Teaching or social service

22 Other teachers and instructors Teaching or social service

23 Librarians, curators, and archivists Teaching or social service

24 Other education, training, and library occupations Teaching or social service

25 Art and design workers Services

26 Entertainers, performers, and sports and related workers Services

27 Media and communication workers Services

28 Media and communication equipment workers Services

29 Health diagnosing and treating practitioners Professional

30 Health technologists and technicians Professional

31 Other health care practitioners and technical occupations Professional

32 Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides Services

33 Occupational and physical therapist assistants and aides Services

34 Other health care support occupations Services

35 First-line supervisors and managers of protective service workers Services

36 Firefighting and prevention workers Services

37 Law enforcement workers Services

38 Other protective service workers Services

39 Supervisors of food preparation and serving workers Services

40 Cooks and food preparation workers Services

41 Food and beverage serving workers Services

42 Other food preparation and serving related workers Services

43 Supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers Services

44 Building cleaning and pest control workers Services

45 Grounds maintenance workers Production and related

46 Supervisors of personal care and service workers Services

47 Animal care and service workers Services

48 Entertainment attendants and related workers Services

49 Funeral service workers Services

50 Personal appearance workers Services

51 Transportation, tourism, and lodging attendants Services

52 Other personal care and service workers Services

53 Supervisors of sales workers Sales

54 Retail sales workers Sales

55 Sales representatives, services Sales

56 Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing Sales

57 Other sales and related workers Sales

58 Supervisors of office and administrative support workers Services

59 Communications equipment operators Services
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Health Statistics Reports n Number 94 n June 10, 2016 Page 11

Table. Occupation recode values in public-use Sample Adult files, associated response labels, and resulting analysis category: National

Health Interview Survey, 2008–2014—Con.

OCCUPN1

value Response label Occupation category

60 Financial clerks Services

61 Information and record clerks Services

62 Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing workers Services

63 Secretaries and administrative assistants Services

64 Other office and administrative support workers Services

65 Supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers Production and related

66 Agricultural workers Production and related

67 Fishing and hunting workers Production and related

68 Forest, conservation, and logging workers Production and related

69 Supervisors of construction and extraction workers Production and related

70 Construction trades workers Production and related

71 Helpers in construction trades Production and related

72 Other construction and related workers Production and related

73 Extraction workers Production and related

74 Supervisors of installation, maintenance, and repair workers Production and related

75 Electrical and electronic equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers Production and related

76 Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers Production and related

77 Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations Production and related

78 Supervisors of production workers Production and related

79 Assemblers and fabricators Production and related

80 Food processing workers Production and related

81 Metal workers and plastic workers Production and related

82 Printing workers Production and related

83 Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers Production and related

84 Woodworkers Production and related

85 Plant and system operators Production and related

86 Other production occupations Production and related

87 Supervisors of transportation and material moving workers Production and related

88 Air transportation workers Production and related

89 Motor vehicle operators Production and related

90 Rail transportation workers Production and related

91 Water transportation workers Production and related

92 Other transportation workers Production and related

93 Material moving workers Production and related

94 Military-specific occupations (excluding active-duty Armed Forces personnel) Services
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

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Suggested citation

Blackwell DL, Clarke TC. Occupational

differences among employed adults who met

2008 federal guidelines for both aerobic and

muscle-strengthening activities: United States,

2008–2014. National health statistics reports;

no 94. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for

Health Statistics. 2016.

Copyright information

All material appearing in this report is in the

public domain and may be reproduced or

copied without permission; citation as to

source, however, is appreciated.

National Center for Health Statistics

Charles J. Rothwell, M.S., M.B.A., Director

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Associate Director

for Science

Division of Health Interview Statistics

Marcie L. Cynamon, Director
 

Stephen Blumberg, Ph.D., Associate Director
 

for Science
 

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DHHS Publication No. 2016–1250 • CS265182