The Role of Physical Activity-Related Health Competence and Leisure-Time Physical Activity for Physical Health and Metabolic Syndrome: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach for German Office Workers

Simon Blaschke, Johannes Carl, Jan Ellinger, Ulrich Birner and Filip Mess
Additional contact information
Simon Blaschke: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 80992 Munich, Germany
Johannes Carl: Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Jan Ellinger: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 80992 Munich, Germany
Ulrich Birner: Siemens AG, Human Resources EHS, Department of Psychosocial Health and Well-Being, Otto-Hahn-Ring 6, 81739 Munich, Germany
Filip Mess: Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, 80992 Munich, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: Office workers (OWs) are prone to insufficient physical activity (PA), which increases their risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and impaired physical health. The Physical Activity-related Health Competence (PAHCO) model holds the potential to facilitate a healthy physically active lifestyle. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the interplay between PAHCO, leisure-time PA, physical health, and MetS in OWs in Germany. In a cross-sectional study, OWs ( N = 316, 25% female) completed self-report questionnaires along with an occupational health checkup to examine their Metabolic Syndrome Severity Score (MetSSS) values. Structural equation modeling indicated a strong positive association between PAHCO and leisure-time PA and a small positive association with physical health. PAHCO showed a considerable negative association with the MetSSS. Leisure-time PA was a positive mediator for the PAHCO–physical health association but was not a significant mediator for the association between PAHCO and the MetSSS. These findings underscore the importance of PAHCO in the context of leisure-time PA, physical health, and MetS in OWs. Furthermore, our findings highlight the health-enhancing value of the qualitative aspects of PA, such as motivational and volitional components in PA participation, with respect to physical health and MetS.

Keywords: health literacy; physical literacy; physical health; metabolic syndrome; office workers; health management; structural equation model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/19/10153/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/19/10153/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:19:p:10153-:d:644384

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().