Relationships of WeChat steps and working pressure with physical and mental health of occupational groups in enterprises and public institutions in Pudong New Area of Shanghai

Background  Physical activity and working pressure have a great impact on employees' physical and mental health.

Objective  This study explores the associations of daily steps and working pressure with physical and mental health of employees.

Methods  A cross-sectional study with convenience sampling was conducted in 11 public institutions and 10 enterprises in Pudong New Area of Shanghai. A total of 2 236 questionnaires were distributed, and 1 800 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a valid return rate of 80.5%. According to the validity of WeChat steps, 1 247 participants were finally included. Demographic characteristics were investigated by questionnaire; self-rated health was evaluated by a question; mental health was evaluated by World Health Organization Well-being Index Chinese version; working pressure was assessed by Job Content Questionnaire Chinese version; daily WeChat steps of the participants from 2-31 August 2019 were collected through a participant-authorized official account. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the relationships of daily steps and working pressure with physical and mental health of the two types of employees.

Results  A total of 1247 participants were investigated in this study, including 667 employees from public institutions and 580 employees from enterprises. For employees in public institutions and enterprises, the M (P₂₅, P₇₅) of daily steps were 6 579 (5 014, 8 421) and 8 882 (6 703, 11 642) respectively; in terms of working pressure, the job demand scores were 4.02±0.58 and 3.87±0.53, the job control scores were 3.27±0.53 and 3.38±0.54, and the social support scores were 4.15±0.55 and 4.14±0.52 respectively; the proportions with good self-rated health were 54.0% and 65.2%, and the proportions with good mental health were 69.6% and 70.2% respectively. The multiple logistic regression results indicated that after adjusting for selected demographic characteristics, in public institutions, the employees with average daily steps between 5 000-9999 (versus those with average daily steps < 5000, OR=1.68, 95%CI:1.11-2.56), lower job demand (OR=0.59, 95% CI:0.42-0.83), higher job control (OR=2.15, 95% CI:1.49-3.11), and higher social support (OR=1.87, 95% CI: 1.30-2.70) had better mental health; and those with average daily steps ≥ 10 000 (versus those with average daily steps < 5 000, OR=2.15, 95% CI:1.19-3.89) and higher social support had better self-rated health (OR=1.52, 95% CI:1.08-2.14). In enterprises, the employees with average daily steps between 5 000-9 999 (versus those with average daily steps < 5 000, OR=1.91, 95% CI:1.01-3.60), higher job control (OR=1.97, 95%CI:1.30-2.97), and higher social support (OR=2.97, 95%CI:1.90-4.66) had better mental health.

Conclusion  Reducing working pressure and moderately increasing daily steps may associate with better mental health of employees from both public institutions and enterprises; improving social support and moderately increasing daily steps may associate with better self-rated health of employees from public institutions.