# The association of status transitions from school to work with leisure-time physical activity on weekdays: a longitudinal analysis of data from the German Socio-Economic Panel

## TL;DR

This study finds that young adults reduce their leisure-time physical activity when transitioning from school to work or vocational training, with differences based on career paths.

## Contribution

The study longitudinally examines how different career transitions uniquely affect physical activity levels in young adults.

## Key findings

- Transitioning from school to vocational education and university to workforce entry significantly reduces physical activity.
- Young adults in occupational paths experience PA reduction earlier than those in academic paths.
- Tailored digital interventions are suggested to address declining physical activity during these transitions.

## Abstract

Physical inactivity is common among young adults. Transitions from school to work can affect available resources for engaging in physical activity (PA). There is a lack of longitudinal data examining changes in PA following status transitions differentiated by occupational and academic career paths. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in PA of young adults across four status transitions from: (1) school to vocational education and training (VET), (2) school to university, (3) VET to workforce entry, and (4) university to workforce entry.

A longitudinal analysis was conducted using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (waves 2014–2020) for young adults aged 18–35. McNemar tests and logistic fixed-effects regressions were performed in four separate subsamples with paired data (time points before and after a transition).

In total, 364 individuals transitioned from school to VET (47.8% women, mean age before transition (BT): 18.9, SD = 1.2), 482 from school to university (53.7% women, mean age BT: 19.0, SD = 1.4), 790 from VET to workforce entry (46.6% women, mean age BT: 22.2, SD = 3.3), and 305 from university to workforce entry (54.4% women, mean age BT: 26.3, SD = 3.0). A significant reduction in PA was observed when individuals transitioned from 1) school to VET and 4) university to workforce.

Young adults who choose an occupational career path already experienced a reduction in PA when starting VET, whereas this trend is temporally shifted for those choosing an academic career path, occurring only upon entry into the workforce. Tailored interventions (e.g., digital approaches that are flexible in terms of time and location) are needed to promote PA among the identified groups, considering available resources.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-23739-4.