TY - JOUR
T1 - Vacation frequency is associated with metabolic syndrome and symptoms
AU - Hruska, Bryce
AU - Pressman, Sarah D.
AU - Bendinskas, Kestutis
AU - Gump, Brooks B.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Project: Time Off under funding agreement 28570. The authors thank Alexandrah Gichingiri, Ivan Castro, Rachel Zajdel, Aylonna Whitney, Samantha Henderson, Ian Thompson, Tatiana Gregory, Tessila Abbott, Barbara Samson and Jessica Fleming for their assistance in ensuring the successful completion of the project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2020/1/2
Y1 - 2020/1/2
N2 - Objective: To examine the extent to which vacationing behavior is associated with metabolic outcomes. Specifically, we consider how total vacation episodes and total vacation days from the past 12 months relate to metabolic syndrome and metabolic symptoms. Design: Sixty-three workers eligible for paid vacation attended a lab visit during which their blood was drawn and they completed an interview assessing vacationing behavior in the past 12 months. Main outcome measures: Metabolic syndrome and metabolic symptoms are the main outcome measures. Results: Over the past 12 months, participants took approximately five vacations (M = 5.44, SD = 3.16) and used about 2 weeks of their paid vacation days (M = 13.80, SD = 7.25). Participants rated vacations positively, expressing low levels of travel-, childcare- and financial burden-related stress. As vacation episodes increased, metabolic syndrome incidence (OR = 0.76, p = 0.051) and number of metabolic symptoms met (IRR = 0.92, p = 0.035) decreased. Notably, risk for metabolic syndrome decreased by nearly a quarter with each additional vacation taken by participants. Conclusions: Overall, vacations are experienced as positive events. This positive subjective experience may translate into physical health benefits given that vacation frequency may protect against metabolic syndrome and symptoms.
AB - Objective: To examine the extent to which vacationing behavior is associated with metabolic outcomes. Specifically, we consider how total vacation episodes and total vacation days from the past 12 months relate to metabolic syndrome and metabolic symptoms. Design: Sixty-three workers eligible for paid vacation attended a lab visit during which their blood was drawn and they completed an interview assessing vacationing behavior in the past 12 months. Main outcome measures: Metabolic syndrome and metabolic symptoms are the main outcome measures. Results: Over the past 12 months, participants took approximately five vacations (M = 5.44, SD = 3.16) and used about 2 weeks of their paid vacation days (M = 13.80, SD = 7.25). Participants rated vacations positively, expressing low levels of travel-, childcare- and financial burden-related stress. As vacation episodes increased, metabolic syndrome incidence (OR = 0.76, p = 0.051) and number of metabolic symptoms met (IRR = 0.92, p = 0.035) decreased. Notably, risk for metabolic syndrome decreased by nearly a quarter with each additional vacation taken by participants. Conclusions: Overall, vacations are experienced as positive events. This positive subjective experience may translate into physical health benefits given that vacation frequency may protect against metabolic syndrome and symptoms.
KW - Vacation
KW - metabolic symptoms
KW - metabolic syndrome
KW - paid time off
KW - physical health
KW - recovery experience
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U2 - 10.1080/08870446.2019.1628962
DO - 10.1080/08870446.2019.1628962
M3 - Article
C2 - 31204484
AN - SCOPUS:85067610318
SN - 0887-0446
VL - 35
SP - 1
EP - 15
JO - Psychology and Health
JF - Psychology and Health
IS - 1
ER -