Occupational Physical Activity and New-Onset Hypertension: A Nationwide Cohort Study in China

The association between occupational physical activity (OPA) and the risk of hypertension remains uncertain. We aimed to examine the prospective relations of OPA and new-onset hypertension among Chinese males and females. A total of 9350 adults who were free of hypertension at baseline were enrolled from the CHNS study (China Health and Nutrition Survey). Data on OPA were obtained by using self-reported questionnaires and calculated as metabolic equivalent task (MET)–hours per week. MET–hours per week may account for both intensity and time spent on activities. The study outcome was new-onset hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg or diagnosed by physician or under antihypertensive treatment during the follow-up. During a median of 8.0 years (82 410 person-years) of follow-up, a total of 2949 participants developed hypertension. Overall, there was a L-shaped association between the OPA and new-onset hypertension in males and a U-shaped association in females (all P values for nonlinearity <0.001). Accordingly, when OPA was categorized as four groups (<80, 80–<160, 160–<240, and ≥240 metabolic MET–hours per week), in males, the risk of new-onset hypertension was significantly increased only among participants with OPA <80 MET–hours per week; however, in females, the lowest risk of new-onset hypertension was found among those with OPA 80 to 240 MET–hours per week. In summary, moderate OPA, in terms of both duration and intensity, is associated with a lower risk of new-onset hypertension among both males and females, whereas heavy OPA was related to increased risk of new-onset hypertension in females.