Many employees returning to the office in 2021 are not as healthy as pre-COVID, reports Healthdirect Australia

Australians sent home to work during COVID-19 lockdown reported moving around less during the day, found a survey commissioned by virtual care provider, Healthdirect Australia — a concerning trend that could have a long-lasting health effects as flexible working arrangements are embedded in 2021.

Nationally, nearly half (45%) of those surveyed were more sedentary while working from home and 44% exercised less than they did before the national lockdown started last March. 39% were eating and snacking more often when working from home.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), insufficient physical activity is a key contributor to disease burden in Australia. It’s responsible for 10–20% of the individual disease burden from diabetes, bowel cancer, uterine cancer, dementia, breast cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke (AIHW 2019).

Dr Marie-Louise Stokes, Chief Medical Officer of Healthdirect Australia, which operates virtual health services on behalf of governments of Australia, says the survey clearly shows the impact of the changed work routines in 2020 — many people exercised less, ate more and felt less fit.

“This survey tells me that while adapting to their new routines, millions of Australians were missing out on the benefits of the incidental exercise involved in getting to, from and around the workplace.

“It’s a completely understandable result from a year where movement beyond the home was restricted, but with many employers making flexible working more permanent, there could be a looming public health impact as working from home routines continue long term.

“We know there are huge health benefits in keeping active and we urge people to make time for healthy activities that help prevent chronic illnesses,” says Dr Stokes.

Tips for maintaining health and wellbeing when working from home

• Set up your home desk properly — the survey found that 40% of people working from home experienced shoulder, back and/or neck pain they didn’t previously suffer in their work environment.
• Get up every hour — move around, stretch or go for a walk.
• Set yourself an exercise goal for each day.
• Set daily activity reminders when you work from home and try to replicate the physical activity you did pre-COVID-19 — go for a short walk morning and evening to imitate walking to and from the bus or train station.
• Check your risk of chronic disease — you may have tipped into the high-risk category for three of Australia’s biggest killers: heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease. Use the self-guided healthdirect Risk Checker to find out what to do next.
• See your GP — if you’re worried about your health and need to see your doctor don’t put it off. Try telehealth if you are concerned about visiting a clinic.

Key findings of the national survey

• Half of those working from home (49%) found it difficult to manage their health and wellbeing through COVID-19, with over half of those people (54%) struggling to get motivated.
• Overall, 45% of respondents feel their health hasn't changed, 31% say they are less healthy and 24% feel healthier.
• 44% exercise less, 35% exercise more and 5% haven’t exercised at all.
• 40% of those surveyed are feeling less fit, 26% are feeling more fit and 35% feel the same or are not sure.
• 39% say they've been eating more, 25% have improved their diet and 15% are eating less.
• 34% of respondents are snacking more, 16% are eating larger portions and 19% are getting food delivered more often.
• More than a quarter (29%) of those surveyed felt they gained weight, with weight gain highest among 18–24 year olds (35%).
• 36% say they are sleeping better but 31% are getting poorer quality sleep.
• 40% report shoulder, back and/or neck pain while working from home, with 52% experiencing some sort of ache, strain or pain.
• 41% of those surveyed say their mental health is the same as pre-COVID-19 times, while 30% say it is better and 29% say it's worse.

About the survey

The survey was conducted by YouGov Plc between 12–27 October 2020. The sample comprised 1,041 respondents, aged 18 years and older who were working from home from March to October 2020. Three-quarters of respondents worked from home full-time and one-quarter part-time; 58% were male, 42% were female; and 79% were Millennials or Gen X.