Abstract
Introduction: German executives are becoming increasingly aware of the growing significance of employee health for the future viability of their companies. For the practical implementation of health promotion in a business setting, it is imperative to identify the central determinants of health, so that targeted measures can be initiated. Method: In the present article, results from a cross-sectional study in a German company are presented (n = 160; mean = 55.1 years; SD = 3.61 years). The aim of the study was to empirically analyze whether physical fitness has a stronger association with subjective health and state of physical ailments than the determinants physical activity, BMI and smoker/non-smoker status. In order to address these questions, we calculated hierarchical regressions. Results: The results show that fitness is the strongest determinant of subjective health perception with a Beta weight of 0.447 (T = 5.502; p < 0.001). The evaluation of the associational factors of the state of physical ailments also showed that the state of fitness is a highly significant predictor of physical ailments (β = - 0.498; T = - 5.838; p < 0.001). Conclusions: In the light of this, health promotion measures focusing on physical activity and particularly the physical fitness should be given a larger role in occupational practice.
| Translated title of the contribution | Physical fitness and health of older employees |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Pages (from-to) | 228-233 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Pravention und Gesundheitsforderung |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
