Leisure time physical activity and sickness absenteeism; a prospective study

Aim To establish whether workers with frequent leisure time physical activities are at higher or lower risk of sickness absence compared to inactive workers. Method Self reported and company recorded sickness absence data were collected during 18 months of follow-up for 8902 workers. Frequency of leisure time physical activities was queried at baseline. Results Overall, we found that workers active in their leisure time twice or more each week reported significantly less sickness absence compared to inactive workers (14.8 versus 19.5 days/year), mainly due to a decrease in sick leave because of musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion Demotivating sports participation by making workers liable for workdays lost due to sporting injuries might be counter-productive in decreasing absenteeism and its related costs. Promoting worker participation in sport might lead to reduced absenteeism.