Impact of employment status and work setting on body weight and health behaviors among people with obesity

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Almandoz, Jaime P.^a | Xie, Luyu^{b; c} | Tejani, Sanaa^a | Mathew, M. Sunil^{b; c} | Schellinger, Jeffrey N.^a | Morales-Marroquin, Elisa^d | Messiah, Sarah E.^{b; c; e; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA | [b] University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, USA | [c] Center for Pediatric Population Health, UTHealth School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, USA | [d] Department of Nutritional Sciences, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX USA | [e] Department of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX USA

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Sarah E. Messiah, PhD, MPH, FTOS, UTHealth School of Public Health, Center for Pediatric Population Health, 2777N. Stemmons Freeway, Suite 8400, Dallas, TX 75207, USA. Tel.: +1 972 546 2919; Fax: +1 214 351 7006; E-mail: Sarah.E.Messiah@uth.tmc.edu.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:The impact of employment and the work-from-home (WFH) setting on body weight among people with obesity is unknown. OBJECTIVE:This study examined the relationship between employment status, WFH setting, and change in body weight among adults with obesity during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS:Patients from an obesity medicine clinic completed an online survey in 2022 to assess health, work, and lifestyle behaviors. Multiple regression models examined the association between WFH status and change in body weight. RESULTS:The analytical sample included 380 patients (81.9% female, mean age 52.5 years, mean body mass index 43.25, 50.0% non-Hispanic White, 25.7% non-Hispanic Black, 18.7% Hispanic, 5.7% other ethnicity). During the pandemic, 28.7% were employed in a WFH setting (73.4% of this subgroup were in a WFH setting only), 36.1% were employed but not in a WFH setting, 11.8% were unemployed, and 23.4% were retired. Mean body weight change for participants who partially WFH during the pandemic was +5.4 (±7.2) % compared to those completely WFH –0.3 (±9.8) % (P = 0.006). After adjusting for key demographics, participants who were partially WFH gained 7.8% more weight compared to those completely WFH (β= 7.28, SE = 1.91, p < 0.001). The most significant predictors for weight gain after adjusting for WFH frequency (partially vs. completely) included overeating (aOR 11.07, 95% CI 3.33–36.77), more consumption of fast food (aOR 7.59, 95% 2.41–23.91), and depression (aOR 6.07, 95% CI 1.97–18.68). CONCLUSION:These results show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the WFH hybrid (combination of office and WFH) setting is associated with greater weight gain compared to those who completely WFH in people with obesity. Risk factors include overeating, higher fast food consumption, and depression.

Keywords: Work, obesity, COVID-19, environment, weight gain, behaviour, weight management

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-230055

Journal: Work, vol. 78, no. 4, pp. 1011-1020, 2024