Job Characteristics, Well-Being and Physical Activity: A Field Study Using a Consumer Fitness Tracker

Abstract

The relation between job characteristics and health is one of the most important fields of research within work and organizational psychology. Another prominent variable influencing health is physical activity. The physical activity mediated Demand-Control (pamDC) model (Häusser & Mojzisch, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2017.1303759) combines these health indicators in a new theoretical framework. Based on the pamDC model the current study aims to clarify the role of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in the interplay of job demands, job control and well-being. We expect physical activity to partially mediate the impact of job characteristics on health. To avoid self-report bias considering physical activity we used a consumer fitness tracker to collect additional data. In total, 104 white-collar workers participated in the study. The results show that job control and job demands could predict well-being in cross-sectional analyses. In longitudinal analyses, this was only the case for job demands. Regarding the proposed mediating effect of LTPA between job characteristics and health, we could not detect a significant mediation in our sample. This was true for both self-reported and objective data on physical activity. This study provides a first step in validating the pamDC model and has implications for future research.

Keywords: job characteristics; physical activity; tracking; wearables; well-being.

Figure 1. The Physical Activity Mediated Demand-Control (pamDC) Model (Häusser & Mojzisch, 2017)

Figure 2. Unstandardized Regression Coefficients of Mediation Analysis of Job Demands and Job Control on Well-Being via Subjective and Objective LTPA

Note. Standard errors in parenthesis (n = 86). sLTPA = subjective LTPA (minutes per day); oLTPA = objective LTPA (steps per day); T2 = second and final online survey.