Associations between the Objectively Measured Office Environment and Workplace Step Count and Sitting Time: Cross-Sectional Analyses from the Active Buildings Study

Why do people sit? A framework for targeted behavior change

To improve health and wellbeing, it is crucial that people regularly interrupt their sitting. In this paper, we propose a framework for examining and changing sitting behavior that addresses two key steps in the process towards developing effective interventions. First, we suggest that research should move away from its current focus on sitting time, which is an outcome of behavior. Rather, researchers should focus on stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand transitions, which are discrete units of behavior. Second, drawing on goal hierarchy models, we suggest that people rarely engage in stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand transitions for the purpose of being in a sitting or standing position; rather, we suggest that these transitions are means to higher-order goals (e.g., to complete work tasks, to watch television, to eat dinner). To improve adherence to and effectiveness of sitting behavior interventions, intervention designers should aim to increase the frequency of sit-to-stand (and stand-to-sit) transitions. To achieve this aim, intervention designers should capitalize on the higher-order goals that are typically served by these transitions. We suggest four concrete intervention strategies to increase sit-to-stand transitions in congruence with people's everyday goals. We also describe the implications of our framework for theory and methods in sitting behavior research.

Detrimental effects of physical inactivity on peripheral and brain vasculature in humans: Insights into mechanisms, long-term health consequences and protective strategies

The growing prevalence of physical inactivity in the population highlights the urgent need for a more comprehensive understanding of how sedentary behaviour affects health, the mechanisms involved and what strategies are effective in counteracting its negative effects. Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for different pathologies including atherosclerosis, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. It is known to progressively lead to reduced life expectancy and quality of life, and it is the fourth leading risk factor for mortality worldwide. Recent evidence indicates that uninterrupted prolonged sitting and short-term inactivity periods impair endothelial function (measured by flow-mediated dilation) and induce arterial structural alterations, predominantly in the lower body vasculature. Similar effects may occur in the cerebral vasculature, with recent evidence showing impairments in cerebral blood flow following prolonged sitting. The precise molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying inactivity-induced vascular dysfunction in humans are yet to be fully established, although evidence to date indicates that it may involve modulation of shear stress, inflammatory and vascular biomarkers. Despite the steady increase in sedentarism in our societies, only a few intervention strategies have been investigated for their efficacy in counteracting the associated vascular impairments. The current review provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence linking acute and short-term physical inactivity to detrimental effects on peripheral, central and cerebral vascular health in humans. We further examine the underlying molecular and physiological mechanisms and attempt to link these to long-term consequences for cardiovascular health. Finally, we summarize and discuss the efficacy of lifestyle interventions in offsetting the negative consequences of physical inactivity.

Stop motion: using high resolution spatiotemporal data to estimate and locate stationary and movement behaviour in an office workplace

Prolonged periods of stationary behaviour, a common occurrence in many office workplaces, are linked with a range of physical disorders. Investigating the physical context of this behaviour may be a key to developing effective interventions. This study aimed to estimate and locate the stationary and movement behaviours of office workers (n = 10) by segmenting spatiotemporal data collected over 5 days in an office work-based setting. The segmentation method achieved a balanced accuracy ≥85.5% for observation classification and ≥90% for bout classification when compared to reference data. The results show the workers spent the majority of their time stationary (Mean = 86.4%) and had on average, 28.4 stationary and 25.9 moving bouts per hour. While these findings accord with other studies, the segmented data was also visualised, revealing that the workers were stationary for periods ≥5 min at multiple locations and these locations changed across time. Practitioner Summary: This study applied a data segmentation method to classify stationary and moving behaviours from spatiotemporal data collected in an office workplace. The segmented data revealed not only what behaviours occurred but also their location, duration, and time. Segmenting spatiotemporal data may add valuable physical context to aid workplace research.

Activity space, office space: Measuring the spatial movement of office workers

A key to the development of more effective interventions to promote movement and reduce physical inactivity in office workplaces may be to measure and locate individual's spatial movement. Using an activity space estimation method, high resolution location data collected from 15 office workers over 12 days were used to estimate and analyse the location and extent of their daily spatial movement whilst in an office work-based setting. The results indicated that the method, kernel density estimation, combined with location data offers significant opportunities to not only measure and compare spatial movement behaviours but also simultaneously identify the locations where the behaviours occur. Combined with other data streams, this method will allow researchers to further investigate the influence of different environmental characteristics on these behaviours, potentially leading the development of more effective, longer lasting interventions to promote movement and reduce stationary behaviour, ultimately improving the health of office workers.

Associations Between Office Location and Adiposity in Office Workers

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate whether having to walk longer distances to common destinations within office buildings is associated with less adiposity and greater occupational physical activity.

METHODS

Distances between offices and amenities were measured for 108 office-based workers, as was body fat percentage, waist circumference, number of sedentary breaks at work, and duration and intensity of activity at work.

RESULTS

Being further away from the building entrance was correlated with lower body fat percentage. Greater distance from a participant's office to the copier was associated with smaller waist circumferences. Correlations were found between distance to the bathroom and work activity, and sedentary breaks with distance to the break room and distance from the printer or copier.

CONCLUSIONS

Worksites interested in improving the health of their employees should consider how building design affects occupational physical activity and health.

Temporal dynamics of sitting behavior at work

Sitting for prolonged periods of time impairs people's health. Prior research has mainly investigated sitting behavior on an aggregate level, for example, by analyzing total sitting time per day. By contrast, taking a dynamic approach, here we conceptualize sitting behavior as a continuous chain of sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit transitions. We use multilevel time-to-event analysis to analyze the timing of these transitions. We analyze ∼30,000 objectively measured posture transitions from 156 people during work time. Results indicate that the temporal dynamics of sit-to-stand transitions differ from stand-to-sit transitions, and that people are quicker to switch postures later in the workday, and quicker to stand up after having been more active in the recent hours. We found no evidence for associations with physical fitness. Altogether, these findings provide insights into the origins of people's stand-up and sit-down decisions, show that sitting behavior is fundamentally different from exercise behavior, and provide pointers for the development of interventions.

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.

Nível de atividade física e sobrecarga cardiovascular em bombeiros militares durante combate a incêndio florestal: um estudo exploratório

Resumo Introdução : combates a incêndios florestais expõem bombeiros a elevado risco cardiovascular. Objetivo : avaliar o nível de atividade física (ATF), o comportamento sedentário e a sobrecarga cardiovascular de bombeiros durante um combate a incêndio florestal de grande porte. Métodos : durante 9 dias de atividade, 24h/dia, avaliaram-se 7 bombeiros do sexo masculino. Os participantes tiveram a frequência cardíaca (FC) medida a cada segundo e a ATF registrada por um sensor de movimento, do tipo acelerômetro, a cada 60 segundos. Foram computadas as médias dos registros do 2º, 3º e 4º dias. A ATF e o comportamento sedentário foram avaliados pelo vetor magnitude do acelerômetro, e a sobrecarga cardiovascular, pelo comportamento da FC. Resultados : os participantes apresentaram média de 112 (DP 24) min/dia de ATF moderada/vigorosa (MV), acumularam em média 14.803 (DP 1.667) passos/dia e gasto energético de 1.860 (DP 481) kcal/dia. A sobrecarga cardiovascular permaneceu, em média, 47 (DP 42) min/dia em esforço vigoroso e 8 (DP 12) min/dia em esforço muito vigoroso. Conclusão: os bombeiros avaliados acumularam mais que o dobro da recomendação mínima de ATF-MV semanal em três dias, apresentaram mais de 50 min/dia de elevada sobrecarga cardiovascular e pouco tempo em comportamento sedentário, se comparados a outras profissões.

Impact of Activity-Based Working and Height-Adjustable Desks on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Space Utilization among Office Workers: A Natural Experiment

It has been reported that office environment is an important determinant of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in office workers. However, the effect of changes in office environment (office renovation) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine PA, SB, and space utilization changes among office workers in response to office renovation. This study was a natural experiment at three offices of a single company in Tokyo, Japan. The participants were, 13 workers from one office in the renovation group (mean age: 37.9 ± 10.8 years, percentage of females: 23.1%) and 29 from two offices in the control group (mean age: 42.3 ± 11.2 years, percentage of females: 31.0%). In the renovation, introduction of activity-based working (ABW) and installation of height-adjustable desks (HAD) were adopted. The ABW office was designed to provide various shared workstations, enabling the workers to choose workstations depending on their task or mood. Accelerometer measurement and object detection method using artificial intelligence (AI) technology for video images were used to assess behavior and space utilization before and after the renovation. Two weeks after the renovation, significant improvements in SB (pre- to post-renovation improvements: 346.8 ± 28.6 to 321.2 ± 17.8 min/working-hours) and PA (total PA: 173.2 ± 28.6 to 198.8 ± 17.8 min/working-hours; and light-intensity PA: 130.4 ± 27.1 to 150.7 ± 31.0 min/working-hours) were observed. In addition, the results of the object detection analysis showed that the central aisle of the office and shared HAD workstations near the entrance or window were utilized more frequently than the other spaces. This study suggested that office renovation could improve SB and PA immediately after the renovation. Moreover, utilized spaces and HAD workstations could play an important role to enhance employees’ activity in an ABW office.

How Much Is Too Much? The Influence of Work Hours on Social Development: An Empirical Analysis for OECD Countries

Work is a cornerstone of social development. Quantifying the impact on development of fluctuations in work hours is important because longer work hours increasingly seem to be the norm. Based on an integrative perspective that combines individual, organizational, and social factors, we constructed a model using data from 31 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The proposed model was used to test the effect of work hours on different levels and to propose feasible suggestions accordingly. The results show that people in developing countries work more hours per week than those in developed countries, and that males work longer hours than females. Furthermore, regression analysis shows that current work hours are having a negative impact on development in OECD countries, especially in developing countries where people are working longer hours. Longer hours, in other words, do not promote development effectively. Specifically, work hours at the individual level are negatively related to health. At the level of organization, work hours are a reverse indicator of organizational performance, and at the level of society, there is a negative relationship between work hours and economic development. This study provides support for the proposition by the International Labour Organization to reduce work hours, and it facilitates our understanding of the relationship between work hours and social development.

Device-measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour and cardiometabolic health and fitness across occupational groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

With approximately 8 hours of one's waking day spent at work, occupational tasks and environments are important influencers on an individual's physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours. Little research has compared device-measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour and cardiometabolic outcomes between occupational groups.

OBJECTIVE

To compare device-measured movement (sedentary time [ST], light intensity physical activity [LPA], moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity [MVPA], and steps) across occupations. The secondary objective was to examine whether cardiometabolic and fitness outcomes differed by occupation.

METHODS

Five bibliographic databases were searched to identify all studies which included working age, employed adults from high-income countries, and reported on device-measured movement within occupations. Risk of bias within and across studies was assessed. Results were synthesized using meta-analyses and narrative syntheses.

RESULTS

The review includes 132 unique studies with data from 15,619 participants. Working adults spent ~ 60% of their working and waking time engaged in sedentary behaviour; a very small proportion (~ 4%) of the day included MVPA. On average, workers accumulated 8124 steps/day. Office and call center workers' steps/day were among the lowest, while those of postal delivery workers were highest. Office workers had the greatest ST and the lowest time in LPA both at work and during wakeful time. However, office workers had the greatest minutes sent in MVPA during wakeful hours. Laborers had the lowest ST and spent a significantly greater proportion of their work time in LPA and MVPA. Healthcare and protective services workers had higher levels of LPA at work compared to other occupations. Workers in driving-based occupations tended to have a higher body mass index and blood pressure.

CONCLUSION

This review identifies that occupational and wakeful time PA and ST differed between occupations. Future studies are needed to assess whether patterns differ by age and sex, describe leisure-time movement and movement patterns, and the relationship with cardiometabolic health.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42017070448 .

Occupational Physical Activity Habits of UK Office Workers: Cross-Sectional Data from the Active Buildings Study

Habitual behaviours are learned responses that are triggered automatically by associated environmental cues. The unvarying nature of most workplace settings makes workplace physical activity a prime candidate for a habitual behaviour, yet the role of habit strength in occupational physical activity has not been investigated. Aims of the present study were to: (i) document occupational physical activity habit strength; and (ii) investigate associations between occupational activity habit strength and occupational physical activity levels. A sample of UK office-based workers (n = 116; 53% female, median age 40 years, SD 10.52) was fitted with activPAL accelerometers worn for 24 h on five consecutive days, providing an objective measure of occupational step counts, stepping time, sitting time, standing time and sit-to-stand transitions. A self-report index measured the automaticity of two occupational physical activities (“being active” (e.g., walking to printers and coffee machines) and “stair climbing”). Adjusted linear regression models investigated the association between occupational activity habit strength and objectively-measured occupational step counts, stepping time, sitting time, standing time and sit-to-stand transitions. Eighty-one per cent of the sample reported habits for “being active”, and 62% reported habits for “stair climbing”. In adjusted models, reported habit strength for “being active” were positively associated with average occupational sit-to-stand transitions per hour (B = 0.340, 95% CI: 0.053 to 0.627, p = 0.021). “Stair climbing” habit strength was unexpectedly negatively associated with average hourly stepping time (B = −0.01, 95% CI: −0.01 to −0.00, p = 0.006) and average hourly occupational step count (B = −38.34, 95% CI: −72.81 to −3.88, p = 0.030), which may reflect that people with stronger stair-climbing habits compensate by walking fewer steps overall. Results suggest that stair-climbing and office-based occupational activity can be habitual. Interventions might fruitfully promote habitual workplace activity, although, in light of potential compensation effects, such interventions should perhaps focus on promoting moderate-intensity activity.