Effects of Sedentary Behavior Interventions on Mental Well-Being and Work Performance While Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

"Are we working (too) comfortably?": a focus group study to understand sedentary behaviour when working at home and identify intervention strategies

BACKGROUND

The Covid-19 pandemic initiated an enduring shift in working patterns, with many employees now working at home (w@h). This shift has exacerbated existing high levels of occupational sedentary behaviour (SB) in office workers, which is a recognised risk to health and well-being. This study aimed to use the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model to better understand both employees' SB, and line managers behaviour to assist employees to reduce SB when w@h, and identify how employees can best be supported to reduce SB.

METHODS

Three online focus groups with employees aged 18-40 working in desk-based roles (e.g. administrative / sales / customer services) (n = 21), and three with line managers (n = 21) were conducted. The focus groups facilitated discussion regarding participants' current behaviour, what impacts it, and what could be done to reduce employee SB when w@h. The focus group data were thematically analysed guided by the COM-B framework to understand influences on behaviour, and to identify promising intervention strategies.

RESULTS

Most participants recognised that w@h had elevated employee occupational SB, and line managers reported the importance of supporting employees to manage their workload, and encouraging and modelling taking breaks. There were multiple influences on both employee and line manager behaviour with capability, opportunity and motivation all perceived as influential, although not equally. For example, a major theme related to the reduced physical opportunities for employees to reduce their SB when w@h, including blurred work-life boundaries. Changes in physical opportunities also made supporting employees challenging for line managers. Additionally, the w@h environment included unique social opportunities that negatively impacted the behaviour of both groups, including an expectation to always be present online, and social norms. A range of strategies for reducing SB when w@h at both individual and organisational level were suggested.

CONCLUSIONS

It was evident that SB when w@h is influenced by a range of factors, and therefore multi-component intervention strategies are likely to be most effective in reducing SB. Future intervention research is a priority to evaluate and refine strategies, and inform w@h guidance to protect both the short-term and long-term health consequences of elevated SB for those who continue to w@h.

Effective management of sedentary behavior among Indian university students: An empirical exploration into health-related behavior

BACKGROUND

The past few years have witnessed a notable rise in sedentary tendencies, unveiling a modern era of prolonged stillness and diminished physical engagement. This study sought to assess the feasibility of a digital health intervention (DHI) to reduce overall sedentary behavior among university students. The study also identifies distinct subgroups within Indian universities that exhibit a heightened propensity for engaging in unhealthy behaviors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research design used was a quasi-experimental (pre-post) design. A total of 500 participants were selected using a simple randomized sampling method (250 belonging to the control group and 250 belonging to the experimental group). These participants actively engaged in the study for 2 weeks. The participants completed the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) before the intervention to evaluate their level of sedentary behavior. To evaluate the impact of the intervention on subjectively measured sedentary behavior, statistical analyses were conducted using the paired-samples t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with the post hoc Bonferroni test.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated a significant t-value of sedentary behavior for the entire group, with t(249) = 4.88, P < .05. Furthermore, the F-value of 28.787 indicated a statistically significant difference in the sedentary behavior between the experimental and control groups. When considering female university students specifically, the t-value for sedentary behavior was significant at t(105) = 3.22, P < .05, and for male university students, the t-value for sedentary behavior was found to be significant at t(143) = 3.69, P < .05.

CONCLUSION

Smartphone-based health interventions targeting sedentary behavior reduction demonstrated promising outcomes in facilitating health behavior change among university students.

Association Between Pandemic Fatigue and Subjective Well-Being: The Indirect Role of Emotional Distress and Moderating Role of Self-Compassion

Objectives: As a stressor in the context of COVID-19 pandemic fatigue is associated with well-being. However, how pandemic fatigue is associated with well-being and what protective factors buffer this negative effect are under investigated. Based on the stress process model and emotion regulation theory, the study examined the indirect effect of pandemic fatigue on subjective well-being through emotional distress and the buffering effect of self-compassion. Methods: Data were collected from 1,162 university students (M _age = 21.61 ± 2.81, female 35.71%) through an online survey. Indirect effect analysis and conditional process analysis were conducted by the SPSS macro PROCESS. Results: Indirect effect of pandemic fatigue on subjective well-being through emotional distress was identified and self-compassion moderated the association between pandemic fatigue and emotional distress. The indirect effect of pandemic fatigue was weaker among participants with high levels of self-compassion than among those with low levels of self-compassion. Conclusion: Pandemic fatigue was negatively associated with subjective well-being through emotional distress at all levels of self-compassion. The findings deepen our understanding of the link between pandemic fatigue and well-being while considering the indirect role of emotional distress and protective function of self-compassion.

Multiple health risk behaviors, including high consumption of ultra-processed foods and their implications for mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background and aim

The growing increase in diet- and behavior-related illnesses has drawn the attention of many epidemiologists who attribute such changes to the epidemiological and nutritional transition. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the association between the combined occurrence of health risk behaviors, such as sedentary lifestyles, high weekly consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and non-daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, and symptoms of anxiety or depression in adults.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study based on an epidemiological survey in two Brazilian cities. The outcome, anxiety, and depression symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Food consumption was assessed using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with reference to consumption in the last 3 months and categorized into the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the consumption of UPFs according to the NOVA classification. Sedentary behavior was assessed by considering the amount of sitting or reclining time per day reported by participants and categorized as less than 9 h of sitting or reclining and 9 h or more. For the analysis, adjusted Poisson regression (PR) was used to estimate the prevalence ratio and the 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Those with the health risk behaviors, non-daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, and high consumption of UPFs had a 2.6 higher prevalence ratio for symptoms of mental disorder (PR: 2.6 and 95%CI: 1.1–6.5), as well as those with all three health risk behaviors, had a 2.8 higher prevalence ratio for symptoms of mental disorder (PR: 2.8 and 95%CI: 1.3–6.1).

Conclusion

This study revealed that the existence of a combination of two and three health risk behaviors led to a higher prevalence of symptoms of anxiety or depression.

Tourism as a Tool in Nature-Based Mental Health: Progress and Prospects Post-Pandemic

The healthcare sector recognises the role of nature in mental health. The tourism sector is equipped to take people to national parks. The conservation sector gains support from visitors. Theoretical frameworks for mental health benefits from nature tourism include: tourism destinations and activities; tourist personalities and life histories; sensory and emotional components of tourist experiences; and intensity and duration of memories. Mental health deteriorated worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recovery of global economic productivity requires immediate, accessible, affordable mental health measures at national scales, and nature-based approaches provide the best option. Different countries have adopted a variety of public, private, or voluntary mechanisms. Some focus on design of activities, others on provision of facilities. Costs and implementation depend on key research questions: marginal benefits of nature tour guides or psychologists compared to self-guided nature experiences; comparisons between repeated brief visits and one-off nature holidays; effects of biodiversity, flagship species, and scenic or wilderness quality; and differences between individuals, depending on personalities, life histories, and mental health status and symptoms.