A research note on the relationship between long working hours and weight gain for older workers in the United States

Res Aging. 2014 Sep;36(5):557-67. doi: 10.1177/0164027513510324. Epub 2013 Nov 7.

Abstract

Working long hours may be related to obesity in older adults. No studies have focused on older workers and long work hours, although the risk of obesity is high among this population group. This study is the first attempt to investigate the relationship between obesity and the older workforce. Panel data from the Health and Retirement Study are examined using Cox regression techniques. We found that older workers who work more than 59 hr a week are more likely to gain weight than older workers who work less than 59 hr per week.

Keywords: longitudinal analysis; older worker; work histories.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Causality
  • Employment / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / epidemiology*
  • Occupational Diseases / epidemiology
  • Occupational Health / statistics & numerical data*
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • United States
  • Weight Gain
  • Work Schedule Tolerance*
  • Workload*