Almost 20% of workers who travel for their jobs believe it has a negative effect on their health, a Medibank survey of 400 insurance and finance workers shows.

A total of 63% say lack of sleep is the biggest travel problem, followed by limited exercise time (62%) and reduced options for healthy eating (59%).

While only 2% believe work exposes them to a high risk of injury or physical harm, 35% feel work has a negative impact on their physical health. Too much sitting time, lack of opportunities for exercise and stress are given as the main reasons.

A total of 43% of those surveyed believe work affects their mental health – 31% say the impact is positive and 69% say it is negative.

Respondents who feel work has a negative impact say that being stuck in a rut, repetition and a negative relationship with their manager are the main reasons.

Workers who report a positive impact say positive relationships with colleagues, achieving goals, feeling appreciated, having a good work/life balance and receiving positive reinforcement are the main reasons.

The results are part of a study, Workplace Health: Australian Workers’ Perspectives, based on a survey of more than 5200 workers from 13 industries.

The study examines how Australian workers feel about their workplace health situation and how it can be improved.

It found that the self-reported health status of workers in the insurance and finance sector is consistent with the wider workforce, with 39% of workers saying they are in excellent or very good health, 47% in good health and 14% in fair or poor health.

Fitness of workers in the insurance and finance sectors is poorer than that of workers across all industries, with only 5% rating themselves as “very fit”.