Mid Sweden University

Background: Telework has become a frequent form of work for a large part of the workforce. However, research regarding public health aspects is lacking in this area. The purpose of this study was to examine how physical active teleworkers are and if they achieve WHO guidelines. A second aim of the study was to investigate relationships between telework and physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and musculoskeletal pain/discomfort. Method: A cross-sectional survey was performed in Sweden. In total 375 individuals were included in the sample. Logistic regressions were performed to determine association between telework and physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and musculoskeletal pain/discomfort (current and during the last 12 months). Results: 83 % of teleworkers reported physical activity levels that met the WHO guidelines. The results showed no significant relationships between telework and physical activity, sedentary behaviour, or musculoskeletal pain/discomfort. Conclusion: A large part of the studied sample of teleworkers reported achieving the WHO recommendation for physical activity. As no associations could be found between telework, and physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and musculoskeletal issues, telework could be deemed to be as safe as any other work form. However, as this was not a prospective study, with a random sample, further studies are required to investigate whether teleworking has an impact on public health.