The health behaviors of the older US worker.
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.
Fleming
Lora E
LE
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA. lfleming@med.miami.edu
Lee
David J
DJ
Martinez
Alberto J Caban
AJ
Leblanc
William G
WG
McCollister
Kathryn E
KE
Bridges
Katherine Chung
KC
Christ
Sharon L
SL
Arheart
Kristopher L
KL
Pitman
Terry
T
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States