Relationships between Physical Fitness, Health Behaviors, and Occupational Outcomes in Students, Faculty, and Staff of an American University

Objective: This study examined relationships between physical fitness, health behaviors, and occupational outcomes of university affiliates. Participants: 166 university affiliates of an American university (including students, faculty, and staff) participated between October 2018 and March 2020. Methods: Participants completed fitness measurements, wore a device to measure physical activity (PA) and sleep for one week, and completed a survey evaluating happiness and job satisfaction. Multiple regression models evaluated associations between physical fitness, health behaviors, and occupational outcomes. Results: 45% of participants had "poor" cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and unhealthy % fat. CRF, body composition, and muscular endurance were related to PA while body composition was related to sleep duration. Muscular endurance was related to GPA and job satisfaction. Conclusions: Findings suggest 45% of university affiliates had deficient physical fitness and may benefit from increasing PA and sleep. Universities should evaluate fitness within holistic programs to improve affiliates' health and, ultimately, occupational success.