RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LEISURE-TIME PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AND PERCEIVED STRESS

This study investigated the relationship between physical activity dur ing leisure time and perceived stress among working adults (N=32,229). Data were gathered on physical activity, perceived stress, current he alth status, age, gender, life changes, ongoing problems, number of te chniques used for stress reduction, and number of personality traits r elated to Type A behavior. To control for confounding variables Mantel -Haenszel summary risk estimates were used. Employees who expended mor e than 3.0 Kcal/kg(-1) . day(-1) in physical activity during leisure t ime were 0.78 and 0.62 times less likely to have moderate and high per ceived stress, respectively. Working adults participating in moderate amounts of these activities have about half the rate of perceived stre ss as nonparticipants.