Subjective and objective assessment of sedentary behavior among college employees

Occupational sitting and work engagement among university employees

Objective: This study sought to determine the relationship between occupational sitting and work engagement among university employees. Participants: Participants included 103 university employees (age: 48.5 ± 10.4 years, 80% female, 77% staff). Methods: Participants completed an online survey based on the Utrecht Work Engagement Survey (UWES) and the Occupational Sitting and Physical Activity Questionnaire (OSPAQ). The UWES assessed elements of work engagement. The OSPAQ assessed time spent sitting, standing, walking, and in heavy labor during a workday. Results: Compared to staff members, faculty members self-reported less time seated during the workday (373.8 ± 109.7 min/day vs. 321.1 ± 97.3 min/day, p = 0.03). Work engagement was comparable among faculty and staff members (vigor: p = 0.44; absorption: p = 0.68; dedication: p = 0.71). Associations of work engagement with occupational sitting were not significant. Conclusions: These pilot findings suggest that university staff tend to engage in more occupational sitting compared to faculty. Being absorbed and engaged at work is not associated with occupational sitting.

Counteracting the sedentary aspects of academia by incorporating physical activity into the educational process

INTRODUCTION

In many ways, traditional education environments contribute to a sedentary lifestyle, and this can lead to several negative health outcomes. This study determined the extent of anti-sedentary physical activity outcomes resulting from conducting pharmacy academia rotation topic discussions while walking.

METHODS

Topic discussions during six, one-month pharmacy resident academia rotations were converted from a traditional sitting environment to walking discussions conducted at a conversational pace. The preceptor's time, distance, steps, ascent, and caloric expenditure for the discussions were tracked via the hiking feature on Garmin Fenix 3 Global Positioning System watch (Garmin Ltd.). Results were synced to the Garmin Connect mobile application, from which they were manually transcribed to spreadsheet software. Descriptive statistics for the variables were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 46 topic discussions were conducted while walking. The average walking topic discussion lasted 44.62 min, covered 2.13 miles with 3896 steps, and expended 159  calories.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of this study demonstrate the various physical activity benefits of conducting topic discussions while walking as opposed to more traditional stationary discussions. Walking topic discussions are a simple way to counteract the sedentary aspects of academia by incorporating physical activity into the educational process without additional time or resources. Opportunity exists for other aspects of academia to adopt similar strategies to benefit faculty, staff, student, and resident wellness.

Indoor environmental quality-based space categorization framework: the case of health-care facilities

Purpose

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in buildings has an impact on people’s health, productivity and comfort. Maintaining the highest possible IEQ level in complex buildings, such as health care, is difficult due to economic and organizational constraints. This study aims to categorize the vicinities in a typical health-care facility in terms of importance and criticality in relation to the various IEQ factors, as well as to develop an IEQ assessment procedure.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review, established standards and structured interviews with industrial hygiene professionals in health-care settings were used in this study. To test the applicability of the developed IEQ assessment procedure, a pilot study was conducted in an existing health-care facility.

Findings

This study categorized health-care facilities into various vicinities and discovered three respondents group had varying IEQ perceptions (facility managers, environmental health specialists and nurses). According to the findings, indoor air quality is the most important and dominant factor influencing overall IEQ in health-care facilities. The trial application of the framework shows that much work is needed to improve the level of response and readiness of facility management and occupants to allow for the effective use of the developed procedure.

Originality/value

Previous research did not include a detailed categorization of vicinities in health-care buildings based on IEQ requirements. The findings of this study will help to close this knowledge gap and guide facility managers and operators in recognizing the relative importance of different IEQ factors, maintaining functional requirements and identifying priorities when developing maintenance and operational procedures and allocating resources.

Validity of the occupational sitting and physical activity questionnaire (OSPAQ) for home-based office workers during the COVID-19 global pandemic: A secondary analysis

High levels of occupational sitting is an emerging health concern. As working from home has become a common practice as a result of COVID-19, it is imperative to validate an appropriate self-report measure to assess sitting in this setting. This secondary analysis study aimed to validate the occupational sitting and physical activity questionnaire (OSPAQ) against an activPAL4™ in full-time home-based 'office' workers (n = 148; mean age = 44.90). Participants completed a modified version of the OSPAQ and wore an activPAL4™ for a full work week. The findings suggest that the modified OSPAQ has fair levels of validity in terms of correlation for sitting and standing (ρ = 0.35-0.43, all p < 0.05) and agreement (bias = 2-12%) at the group level; however, estimates were poor at an individual level, as suggested by wide limits of agreement (±22-30%). Overall, the OSPAQ showed to be an easily administered and valid questionnaire to measure group level sitting and standing in this sample of adults.

Cross-sectional examination of 24-hour movement behaviours among 3- and 4-year-old children in urban and rural settings in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries: the SUNRISE study protocol

INTRODUCTION

24-hour movement behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep) during the early years are associated with health and developmental outcomes, prompting the WHO to develop Global guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. Prevalence data on 24-hour movement behaviours is lacking, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper describes the development of the SUNRISE International Study of Movement Behaviours in the Early Years protocol, designed to address this gap.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

SUNRISE is the first international cross-sectional study that aims to determine the proportion of 3- and 4-year-old children who meet the WHO Global guidelines. The study will assess if proportions differ by gender, urban/rural location and/or socioeconomic status. Executive function, motor skills and adiposity will be assessed and potential correlates of 24-hour movement behaviours examined. Pilot research from 24 countries (14 LMICs) informed the study design and protocol. Data are collected locally by research staff from partnering institutions who are trained throughout the research process. Piloting of all measures to determine protocol acceptability and feasibility was interrupted by COVID-19 but is nearing completion. At the time of publication 41 countries are participating in the SUNRISE study.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The SUNRISE protocol has received ethics approved from the University of Wollongong, Australia, and in each country by the applicable ethics committees. Approval is also sought from any relevant government departments or organisations. The results will inform global efforts to prevent childhood obesity and ensure young children reach their health and developmental potential. Findings on the correlates of movement behaviours can guide future interventions to improve the movement behaviours in culturally specific ways. Study findings will be disseminated via publications, conference presentations and may contribute to the development of local guidelines and public health interventions.

Sedentary Behavior and Associated Factors Among Working Adults in Eastern Ethiopia

Background: Sedentary behavior is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases. Due to changes in lifestyle, sedentary behavior is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa. However, information on the extent of sedentarism among various segments of the population is scant in low-income countries. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of high sedentary behavior and associated factors among working adults in eastern Ethiopia.

Methods: A crosssectional study was conducted among 1,164 working adults at Haramaya University from December 2018 to February 2019. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the WHO STEPS and sedentary behavior questionnaire. All reported sedentary activities were added to calculate the total number of hours spent on sedentary behavior, which was then dichotomized into two categories. Those who had ≥8 sedentary hours per day were categorized as having high sedentary behavior. The prevalence ratio (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was calculated. Factors associated with outcome variables were identified using Poisson regression with a robust variance statistical model.

Results: The prevalence of high sedentary behavior was 20.3% (95% CI, 18.0–22.7%) among the study participants. The prevalence of high sedentary behavior was associated with age 45–54 years adjusted PR (APR: 2.00; 95% CI = 1.01–3.97) and 55–64 years (APR: 2.16; 95% CI = 1.03–4.57), being a non-manual worker (APR: 2.11; 95% CI = 1.46–3.05), frequent khat chewers (APR: 1.57; 95% CI = 1.22–2.01), with body mass index of ≥25 kg/m² (APR: 1.93; 95% CI = 1.53–2.44), and regular alcohol drinker (APR: 1.39; 95% CI = 1.11–1.76).

Conclusion: One-fifth of working adults had high sedentary behavior. Factors associated with high sedentary behaviors were older age, being a non-manual worker, substance-use behaviors, and having a high body mass index.

A comparison of self-reported and device measured sedentary behaviour in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Sedentary behaviour (SB) is a risk factor for chronic disease and premature mortality. While many individual studies have examined the reliability and validity of various self-report measures for assessing SB, it is not clear, in general, how self-reported SB (e.g., questionnaires, logs, ecological momentary assessments (EMAs)) compares to device measures (e.g., accelerometers, inclinometers).

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this systematic review was to compare self-report versus device measures of SB in adults.

METHODS

Six bibliographic databases were searched to identify all studies which included a comparable self-report and device measure of SB in adults. Risk of bias within and across studies was assessed. Results were synthesized using meta-analyses.

RESULTS

The review included 185 unique studies. A total of 123 studies comprising 173 comparisons and data from 55,199 participants were used to examine general criterion validity. The average mean difference was -105.19 minutes/day (95% CI: -127.21, -83.17); self-report underestimated sedentary time by ~1.74 hours/day compared to device measures. Self-reported time spent sedentary at work was ~40 minutes higher than when assessed by devices. Single item measures performed more poorly than multi-item questionnaires, EMAs and logs/diaries. On average, when compared to inclinometers, multi-item questionnaires, EMAs and logs/diaries were not significantly different, but had substantial amount of variability (up to 6 hours/day within individual studies) with approximately half over-reporting and half under-reporting. A total of 54 studies provided an assessment of reliability of a self-report measure, on average the reliability was good (ICC = 0.66).

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence from this review suggests that single-item self-report measures generally underestimate sedentary time when compared to device measures. For accuracy, multi-item questionnaires, EMAs and logs/diaries with a shorter recall period should be encouraged above single item questions and longer recall periods if sedentary time is a primary outcome of study. Users should also be aware of the high degree of variability between and within tools. Studies should exert caution when comparing associations between different self-report and device measures with health outcomes.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42019118755.

A Narrative Review on Contemporary and Emerging Uses of Inertial Sensing in Occupational Ergonomics

Accurate, reliable, and cost-effective quantification of real-time biomechanical exposures in occupational settings remains an enduring pursuit in ergonomics. Miniaturized, wireless, body-worn inertial sensors offer opportunities to directly measure vast and personalized kinematics data in both laboratory and applied settings. This review investigated the contemporary and emerging uses of wearable inertial sensing technology in occupational ergonomics research related to biomechanical exposure assessment in physical work. A review and narrative synthesis of 78 peer-reviewed studies was conducted. A conceptual framework was used for scoping and synthesizing the reviewed scientific literature. Review findings help to contextualize contributions of this emerging technology to the broader goals of reducing work-relevant musculoskeletal trauma disorders. The review made evident that despite the growing interest in wearable inertial sensing technologies for ergonomics research, its use in applied settings still lags. The review also identified differences in sensor attachment locations and methods and measures for calibration and validation, and inconsistent criteria for reporting and assessing biomechanical exposures even across studies with similar objectives. Emerging applications include combining inertial sensing with predictive modeling for obtaining cumulative exposure data, and providing real-time feedback about biomechanical work demands. The manuscript concludes with research directions for enabling inertial sensing technologies as a tool for online biomechanical exposure assessment and feedback, which has particular appeal in non-repetitive work settings.