TY - JOUR
T1 - The health behaviors of the older US worker
AU - Fleming, Lora E
AU - Lee, David J.
AU - Martinez, Alberto J.Caban
AU - LeBlanc, William G.
AU - McCollister, Kathryn E.
AU - Bridges, Katherine Chung
AU - Christ, Sharon L.
AU - Arheart, Kristopher L.
AU - Pitman, Terry
PY - 2007/6/1
Y1 - 2007/6/1
N2 - Background: As the US workforce ages, lifestyle factors will increasingly affect their health, yet little information is available on their prevalence in older working populations. Methods: Using the nationally representative 1997-2003 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), reported current smoking, risky drinking and leisure-time physical activity behaviors of older workers (≥65 years) were compared with older non-workers. These behaviors were evaluated by age, gender, race, ethnicity, and occupation, as well as prototype "healthy" and "risky" persons. Results: The study population of 4,946 older US workers and 38,313 older non-workers represented an estimated 3.9 million older workers and 28.9 million older non-workers annually. Relative to older non-workers, older workers reported more current smoking and risky drinking, but higher levels of leisure-time physical activity with variations by subpopulations. Conclusions: Less than 4% of the older US worker population reported overall healthy behaviors. Certain occupations and other subpopulations can be targeted for age-appropriate behavioral interventions.
AB - Background: As the US workforce ages, lifestyle factors will increasingly affect their health, yet little information is available on their prevalence in older working populations. Methods: Using the nationally representative 1997-2003 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), reported current smoking, risky drinking and leisure-time physical activity behaviors of older workers (≥65 years) were compared with older non-workers. These behaviors were evaluated by age, gender, race, ethnicity, and occupation, as well as prototype "healthy" and "risky" persons. Results: The study population of 4,946 older US workers and 38,313 older non-workers represented an estimated 3.9 million older workers and 28.9 million older non-workers annually. Relative to older non-workers, older workers reported more current smoking and risky drinking, but higher levels of leisure-time physical activity with variations by subpopulations. Conclusions: Less than 4% of the older US worker population reported overall healthy behaviors. Certain occupations and other subpopulations can be targeted for age-appropriate behavioral interventions.
KW - Ethanol abuse
KW - Exercise
KW - Occupation
KW - Smoking
KW - Tobacco use
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U2 - 10.1002/ajim.20468
DO - 10.1002/ajim.20468
M3 - Article
C2 - 17503458
AN - SCOPUS:34249993847
VL - 50
SP - 427
EP - 437
JO - American Journal of Industrial Medicine
JF - American Journal of Industrial Medicine
SN - 0271-3586
IS - 6
ER -