A research survey carried out by an independent research company on behalf of The Westin Cape Town, shows a correlation between business travel and mental and physical health issues.
Of business travellers, 52% did not believe that their health was impacted by business travel. However, the same survey found that only 18% of travellers said they exercised while on a business trip, with another 40% reporting that they ‘occasionally’ exercised while away.
Some 82% of respondents were sleeping for less than six hours while on a business trip and 62% reported sleeping less than when at home.
The World Sleep Society has found that there is a direct correlation between sleep and overall well-being.
According to the survey, business trips generally seem to exacerbate feelings of stress for most travellers: 67% of respondents stated that business travel did definitely or sometimes have an impact on their stress levels.
A significant increase in stress has been found to have a negative impact on both physical and mental health. Stress has an effect on the health of the heart, immune system, metabolism and hormones and has also been linked to depression and anxiety.
The local survey findings are in line with international studies. The Journal of Occupational and Environment Medicine,published research showing that international business travellers had higher illness rates than leisure travellers, and a Harvard Business Review report found a correlation between frequent travel and a number of health risks, such as obesity and anxiety.
