title: Physical activity levels by occupational category in non-metropolitan Australian adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between occupational category and 3 health-related behaviors: participation in leisure-time physical activity, active transport (AT) and occupational sitting in a sample of employed Australian adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random, cross-sectional sample of 592 adults aged 18 to 71 years completed a telephone survey in October/November 2006. Reported occupations were categorized as professional (n = 332, 56.1%), white-collar (n = 181, 30.6%), and blue-collar (n = 79, 13.3%). Relationships between occupational category and AT, sufficient physical activity and occupational sitting were examined using logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  White-collar employees (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.14-0.95) were less likely to engage in AT and more likely to engage in occupational sitting (OR = 3.10, 95% CI 1.63-5.92) when compared with blue-collar workers. Professionals (OR = 3.04, 95% CI 1.94-4.76) were also more likely to engage in occupational sitting compared with blue-collar workers. No relationship was observed between occupational category and engagement in sufficient physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No association between occupational category and sufficient physical activity levels was observed, although white-collar and professionals were likely to engage in high levels of occupational sitting. Innovative and sustainable strategies are required to reduce occupational sitting to improve health.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity Studies, Institute for Health and Social Science Research, CQUniversity, Rockhampton, Australia.
authors.forename: Mitch J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.forename: Hannah M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Badland
authors.forename: William Kerry
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Mummery
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult