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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Education and Promotion
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1468221
This article is part of the Research Topic The Interaction of Physical Activity, Genetic and Environmental Factors on Cardiovascular Health View all 4 articles

Leisure sedentary time and elevated blood pressure: evidence from the statutory retirement policy

Provisionally accepted
Hao Li Hao Li Weihong Zeng Weihong Zeng *
  • Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Abstract Objectives The relationship between sedentary behaviors and elevated blood pressure remains inconclusive, and the socioeconomic mechanisms underlying the linkage are rarely discussed. Since retirement is often associated with behavioral changes that impact health, this study aims to provide evidence on changes in leisure sedentary time after the statutory retirement age on elevated blood pressure, along with the socioeconomic mechanisms. Methods We utilized data from five waves (2004–2015) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), focusing on males aged 55–65 employed in the formal sector. Leisure sedentary time, the independent variable, was measured based on self-reported data, while diastolic (DBP) and systolic (SBP) blood pressure were the dependent variables. Using statutory retirement policy as an exogenous variation, we employed a continuous difference-in-differences (DID) framework and a propensity score matching difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) approach to examine the relationship between changes in leisure sedentary time after the statutory retirement age and elevated blood pressure. The analysis was conducted using ordinary least squares (OLS). To address potential endogeneity, we applied the instrumental variable (IV) method via two-stage least squares (2SLS). Results Our findings indicate an increase in diastolic blood pressure after statutory retirement, attributed to increased leisure sedentary time. However, there was no significant increase in systolic blood pressure. Moreover, physical activity did not appear to offset this rise in blood pressure, while higher educational attainment and having family members employed in the medical field helped mitigate its negative effects. Conclusion This study highlights the potential adverse impact of increased leisure sedentary time on diastolic blood pressure among middle-aged men in the formal sector, while also exploring the socioeconomic factors that may alleviate these effects. These results provide a foundation for public health initiatives aimed at addressing the rising prevalence of sedentary behavior and its association with blood pressure issues.

    Keywords: Risky Health Behaviors, leisure sedentary time, Diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, statutory retirement policy, China

    Received: 21 Jul 2024; Accepted: 09 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Li and Zeng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Weihong Zeng, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China

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