Poor Work-Life Balance Impacts Health Later in Life

A poor work-life balance in midlife could contribute to poorer physical health in old age, according to the results of a recent study.

While previous research has established an association between short sleep duration and long working hours and various adverse health consequences, little evidence exists to the combined effect of these factors on health-related quality of life.
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Researchers collected data on self-rated health, working hours, and sleep duration in 1974 from 3490 men born between 1919 and 1934, then recollected data from 1527 men in 2000. The researchers formed 4 categories based on working hours: normal work (≤50 hours/week) and normal sleep (>47 hours/week); long work (>50 hours/week) and normal sleep; normal work and short sleep (≤47 hours/week); and long work and short sleep.

Overall, compared with those with normal work and sleep hours in midlife, those with long work and short sleep time had poorer RAND-36 scores for physical function, vitality, and general health, while those with long work and normal sleep time had poorer scores for physical function in older age.

“Businessmen who had long working hours coupled with short sleep duration in midlife had poorer physical health in old age,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Von Bonsdorff MB, Strandberg A, Von Bonsdorff M, Tormakangas T, Pitkala KH, Strandberg TE. Working hours and sleep duration in midlife as determinants of health-related quality of life among older businessmen [published online October 25, 2016]. Age Ageing. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afw178.