Should Workers Be Physically Active after Work? Associations of Leisure-Time Physical Activity with Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality Across Occupational Physical Activity Levels—an Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis

Background There is insufficient evidence to provide recommendations for leisure-time physical activity among workers across various occupational physical activity levels. This study aimed to assess the association of leisure-time physical activity with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality across occupational physical activity levels. Methods This study utilized individual participant data from 21 cohort studies, comprising both published and unpublished data. Eligibility criteria included individual-level data on leisure-time and occupational physical activity (categorized as sedentary, low, moderate, and high) along with data on all-cause and/or cardiovascular mortality. A 2-stage individual participant data meta-analysis was conducted, with separate analysis of each study using Cox proportional hazards models (Stage 1). These results were combined using random-effects models (Stage 2). Results Higher leisure-time physical activity levels were associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk across most occupational physical activity levels, for both males and females. Among males with sedentary work, high compared to sedentary leisure-time physical activity was associated with lower all-cause (hazard ratios (HR) = 0.77, 95% Confidence interval(95%CI): 0.70–0.85) and cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.76, 95%CI: 0.66–0.87) risk. Among males with high levels of occupational physical activity, high compared to sedentary leisure-time physical activity was associated with lower all-cause (HR = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.74–0.97) and cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.79, 95%CI: 0.60–1.04) risk, while HRs for low and moderate levels of leisure-time physical activity ranged between 0.87 and 0.97 and were not statistically significant. Among females, most effects were similar but more imprecise, especially in the higher occupational physical activity levels. Conclusion Higher levels of leisure-time physical activity were generally associated with lower mortality risks. However, results for workers with moderate and high occupational physical activity levels, especially women, were more imprecise. Our findings suggests that workers may benefit from engaging in high levels of leisure-time physical activity, irrespective of their level of occupational physical activity.