Associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with happiness in Japanese worker types of occupational activity requirements

Happiness is a fundamental human life goal. For working adults, sedentary behavior (SB) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) may be differently associated with happiness depending on occupational activity requirements. This study examined these associations among Japanese workers. A total of 2,241 workers aged 20–59 years completed an internet survey. Measures included happiness, six SB domains (car use, public transport, work, TV viewing, PC/smartphone use, other leisure), total SB, three MVPA domains (work, transport, leisure), total MVPA, and occupational requirements (sitting, non-sitting), covariates were also obtained. A series of force-entry logistic regression analysis adjusted for covariates were used to examine the associations of SB and MVPA variables with happiness, stratified by sitting and non-sitting workers. For sitting workers, greater happiness was significantly associated with longer leisure-time MVPA and shorter non-workday PC/smartphone SB. For non-sitting workers, no significant association was observed between domains of MVPA and happiness, whereas time in total SB and PC/smartphone SB showed significant negative associations (except for total SB on workdays). To the greater happiness of working adults, leisure-time MVPA for sitting workers and SB of smartphone, tablet, and PC use for non-sitting workers may be specific domain to effectively intervene.