Moving to an "Active" Biophilic Designed Office Workplace: A Pilot Study about the Effects on Sitting Time and Sitting Habits of Office-Based Workers

Restorative Effects of Biophilic Workplace and Nature Exposure during Working Time: A Systematic Review

The work environment plays a crucial role in the health and performance of employees. The growing interest in workers' well-being has driven the inclusion of nature in workplaces, despite many employees spending most of their time indoors, away from nature. Studies show that biophilic design in offices can have positive effects and promote workers' well-being. However, research on the beneficial effects of nature exposure in the workplace is limited and scattered. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to consolidate current knowledge on the restorative effects of nature exposure on workers during work activities. Different types of exposure, both outdoors and indoors, were considered, with a focus on outcomes related to well-being, motivation, job satisfaction, and work performance. Out of the initially identified 1225 articles, only 16 met the criteria for analysis. Although the analysed studies provided compelling evidence regarding the restorative effects of nature exposure in the workplace, the review also points out gaps and limitations concerning the number of specific studies in this area and the need to adequately assess the sensory dimensions involved in these effects. Conducting more comprehensive and multidimensional investigations into the impacts of nature on the work environment could contribute to guiding more effective design strategies and creating healthier and more productive workplaces for employees.

Systematic Review of the Influence of Physical Work Environment on Office Workers' Physical Activity Behavior

BACKGROUND

Many American workers spend over 7 hours a day at work in primarily sedentary office work. Physical activity is a key aspect of optimizing health and preventing disease; yet, 80% of American adults do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. In this systematic review, the relationship between physical work environment and physical activity among office workers was explored.

METHODS

Of the 321 studies screened, 26 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included for evaluation in this systematic review.

RESULTS

Of the 26 studies, four were cross-sectional studies, 14 were quasi-experimental studies, and eight were randomized control trials. Physical activity during the workday was measured using self-report surveys and electromechanical devices such as accelerometers. Physical work environments examined by the studies included different types of desks (n = 16), office arrangements (n = 5), and building design (n = 5). In nine studies, office environments and building work environments designed to promote activity using active design principles such as stairs and flexible workspaces were associated with increased physical activity. Sit-stand desks reduced overall sitting time, but had a minimal effect on physical activity.

CONCLUSION/APPLICATION TO PRACTICE

Offices and buildings designed for activity had the largest impact on physical activity among office workers. To increase physical activity in office workers, focus should be placed on opportunities to increase incidental movement that can increase physical activity throughout the workday. Occupational health nurses should advocate workspace designs that can increase physical activity in workers.

Impact of Reducing Sitting Time in Women with Fibromyalgia and Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Sitting time has negative effects on health, increasing the risk of obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, and cancer. Thus, primary health care education interventions aimed to reduce sitting time and sedentary behavior could have beneficial effects on people's health and wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an intervention based on reducing sitting time to decrease cardiometabolic risk on a sample of women diagnosed with fibromyalgia and moderate obesity.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention to decrease cardiometabolic risk in 84 participants. Sedentary behavior was monitored using an accelerometer before and at 3-month follow-up.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, body mass index decreased, and the number of steps taken increased, in the intervention group 3 months after the intervention. No significant differences were found in the rest of the variables measured.

CONCLUSION

The intervention group decreased sitting time after the intervention. Group activities and support from primary care may be useful to improve treatment adherence. RCT registration: NCT01729936.

A Systematic Review Examining the Relationship Between Habit and Physical Activity Behavior in Longitudinal Studies

Purpose: To explain physical activity behavior, social-cognitive theories were most commonly used in the past. Besides conscious processes, the approach of dual processes additionally incorporates non-conscious regulatory processes into physical activity behavior theories. Habits are one of various non-conscious variables that can influence behavior and thus play an important role in terms of behavior change. The aim of this review was to examine the relationship between habit strength and physical activity behavior in longitudinal studies.

Methods: According to the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in three databases. Only peer-reviewed articles using a longitudinal study design were included. Both, habit and physical activity were measured at least once, and habit was related to physical activity behavior. Study quality was evaluated by assessment tools of the NHLBI.

Results: Of 3.382 identified publications between 2016 and 2019, fifteen studies with different study designs were included. Most studies supported that positive correlations between habit and physical activity exist. Some positive direct and indirect effects of habit on physical activity were detected and only a minority of studies showed the influence of physical activity on habit strength. Studies differentiating between instigation and execution habit found positive correlations and revealed instigation habit as a stronger predictor of physical activity. The quality of studies was rated as reasonable using assessment tools of the NHLBI.

Conclusion: This review revealed a bidirectional relationship between habit and physical activity. Whether habit predicts physical activity or vice versa is still unclear. The observation of habit influencing physical activity may be most appropriate in studies fostering physical activity maintenance while the influence of physical activity on habit may be reasonable in experimental studies with physical activity as intervention content to form a habit. Future investigations should differentiate between habit formation and physical activity maintenance studies depending on the research objective. Long-term study designs addressing the complexity of habitual behavior would be beneficial for establishing cue-behavior associations for the formation of habits. Furthermore, studies should differentiate between instigation and execution habit in order to investigate the influence of both variables on physical activity behavior independently.