Physical Activity, Sleep, and Affect: Pathways to Work-Limiting Fatigue

This study examines how physical activity, sleep disturbances, affect, and self-rated health
influence work-limiting fatigue in older workers. Data from the 2022 Health and Retirement
Study (N = 12,939) included adults aged 50 and older, with measures capturing physical activity
frequency, sleep disturbances, affective states, self-rated health, and fatigue-limiting work.
Correlational and regression analyses revealed that physical activity predicted lower fatigue,
while sleep disturbances increased it. Affect and self-rated health mediated these relationships:
positive affect and health perceptions reduced fatigue, whereas negative affect and poorer selfrated health exacerbate it. Parallel mediation models demonstrated that physical activity’s
protective effect operated both directly and indirectly through positive affect and self-rated
health; similarly, sleep disturbances’ detrimental impact was partially mediated by negative affect
and self-rated health. These findings build on the Job Demands-Resources framework and
Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping, demonstrating how personal
health behaviors and psychological states shape occupational outcomes. Practical implications
highlight the need for integrated interventions addressing physical activity, sleep hygiene, and
affective regulation to sustain older employees' work capacity. Strategies that foster regular
physical activity and improved sleep quality, alongside affect-focused interventions, may
enhance work capacity and reduce work-limiting fatigue among older employees. Future
research should leverage longitudinal designs and objective health measures to better capture
dynamic changes in aging workers' experiences. By identifying these mediating mechanisms,
this study enhances our theoretical understanding of work-limiting fatigue in aging workforce
populations.