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 (> or =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.
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 (> or =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.
Authors: David J Lee; Lora E Fleming; William G LeBlanc; Kristopher L Arheart; Kenneth F Ferraro; Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes; Carles Muntaner; Cristina A Fernandez; Alberto J Caban-Martinez; Evelyn P Davila; Frank C Bandiera; John E Lewis; Diana Kachan Journal: J Occup Environ Med Date: 2012-04 Impact factor: 2.162
Authors: Kaori Fujishiro; Karen D Hinckley Stukovsky; Ana Diez Roux; Paul Landsbergis; Cecil Burchfiel Journal: J Occup Environ Med Date: 2012-02 Impact factor: 2.162
Authors: James C Helmkamp; Jennifer E Lincoln; John Sestito; Eric Wood; Jan Birdsey; Max Kiefer Journal: Am J Ind Med Date: 2012-12-19 Impact factor: 2.214
Authors: Stacey L Tannenbaum; Diana Kachan; Cristina A Fernandez; Laura A McClure; William G LeBlanc; Kristopher L Arheart; David J Lee Journal: Prev Chronic Dis Date: 2012 Impact factor: 2.830
Authors: Diana Kachan; Lora E Fleming; Sharon Christ; Peter Muennig; Guillermo Prado; Stacey L Tannenbaum; Xuan Yang; Alberto J Caban-Martinez; David J Lee Journal: Prev Chronic Dis Date: 2015-09-24 Impact factor: 2.830