Physical activity and sedentary behaviour in a flexible office‐based workplace: Employee perceptions and priorities for change

Olsen, Heidi; Brown, Wendy J.; Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy; Burton, Nicola W.

doi:10.1002/hpja.164

Cited by 21 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The idea of flexible working is to give employees some choice over how much, when and where they work in order to enhance work-life balance [33]. The suggestion that flexible working (which in this study included the use of flexi-time and working from home) could negatively impact daily sitting time is in line with a previous study by Olsen et al [34]. This qualitative study of office-based workers in a financial services organisation in Brisbane, Australia found that flexible working increased sitting time due to increases in electronic communications, as a result of employees being unaware where their colleagues were (home or the office).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Sitting less at work: a qualitative study of barriers and enablers in organisations of different size and sector

et al. 2019

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Background Prolonged sitting is associated with a range of chronic health conditions and working in office-based jobs is an important contributor to total daily sitting time. Consequently, interventions to reduce workplace sitting have been developed and tested; however, no single intervention strategy consistently produces reductions in workplace sitting time. Exploring barriers and enablers to sitting less at work has been shown to support the development of more effective interventions. In order to address these barriers and enablers during the development and implementation of sit less at work interventions, it is important to understand how they may differ in different types of organisation, an area which has not yet been explored. The main aim of this study was to determine whether barriers and enablers to sitting less at work varied between organisations of different size and sector. Methods A qualitative study design was used. Four organisations of different sizes and sectors participated: a small business, a charity, a local authority and a large corporation. A total of ten focus groups comprising 40 volunteer employees were conducted. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were then thematically analysed using pre-defined themes, but analysis also allowed for emergence of additional themes. Results Barriers and enablers which were consistently raised by participants across all four organisations primarily included: individual-level factors such as habits and routines, and personal motivations and preferences; and factors relating to the internal physical environment. Barriers and enablers that differed by organisation mainly related to: organisational-level factors such as organisational culture, organisation size, and ways of working; and factors relating to the broader social, economic and political context such as the idea of presenteeism, and the impact of wider economic and political issues. Conclusions This study found that although some themes were consistently raised by participants from organisations of different size and sector, participants from these organisations also experienced some different barriers and enablers to sitting less at work. For future research or practice, the study findings highlight that organisation-specific barriers and enablers need to be identified and addressed during the development and implementation of sit less at work interventions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Sitting less at work: a qualitative study of barriers and enablers in organisations of different size and sector

et al. 2019

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“…Anecdotally, participants indicated that the intervention provided a level of comradery in the office and so they were more likely to prompt each other to move or to comment on others' results (which were visible through the app) when at the office. Previous studies have shown that social support is positively associated with participation in workplace health activities (32), and that potentially this need for social support may be elevated in a flexible workplace, as dayto-day social interactions may be diminished (35). Further investigation is needed to determine the impact of social support in flexible workplace interventions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There was a non-significant increase of 20.5 minutes per day in self-reported sitting time on a usual day when working at home. Previous studies have indicated that employee sitting patterns are negatively impacted by the introduction of flexible work (35,47). It is possible that the lack of other work-related activities (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Brief Self-Directed Intervention to Reduce Office Employees’ Sedentary Behavior in a Flexible Workplace

Olsen

Brown

Kolbe-Alexander

et al. 2018

Journal of Occupational &Amp; Environmental Medicine

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“…To date, the impact of exible work (i.e. working partly from home) has been scarcely investigated in the literature, with some indication that exible work does not impact physical activity but increases sedentary behavior (36). Considering that fully remote or exible work has become the normal way of working for o ce workers in many countries, the results of this study are of high relevance to understanding how to de ne new strategies to promote physical activity in the daily life of o ce workers adapted to the remote working setting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The motivational profile does matter: an exploratory survey on the influence of remote office work on physical behavior during the COVID19 lockdown

Cabrita

Bulthuis

Tabak

2021

Preprint

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Background: Most office workers were forced to work remotely due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, possibly leading to a reconfiguration of settled patterns of physical behavior, often characterized by a sedentary lifestyle. This study aimed to investigate the motivational profile, facilitators, and barriers that might have influenced a change in physical activity while working remotely due to the COVID-19 lockdown.Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed in May-June 2020 including demographics, self-reported physical- and work behavior throughout the day before and during the lockdown, Sports Motivation Scale-II assessing motivation for being physically active, and rating on facilitators and barriers for engaging in physical activity during the lockdown. One-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc test was computed to investigate differences between those participants who become more-, less-, and equally active during the COVID-19 lockdown.Results: Ninety-nine people (Female=66) completed the questionnaire. Forty-four percent of the participants considered themselves less active than before the lockdown. Respondents reporting becoming more physically active (28%) were more intrinsically motivated than the remaining participants. The most important facilitators for physical activity were ‘good weather’, ‘no work-related travel’, and ‘flexible work schedules’. The most important barriers were ‘no active transportation’, ‘closed facilities’, and ‘work fatigue’. Conclusions: Strategies that adapt to the weather and fit the work schedule could facilitate physical activity among remote office workers. The results of this study will be used to design interventions to promote an active lifestyle among office workers, personalized to their motivation profile, needs, and preferences.

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Physical activity and sedentary behaviour in a flexible office‐based workplace: Employee perceptions and priorities for change

Cited by 21 publications

References 27 publications

Sitting less at work: a qualitative study of barriers and enablers in organisations of different size and sector

Sitting less at work: a qualitative study of barriers and enablers in organisations of different size and sector

A Brief Self-Directed Intervention to Reduce Office Employees’ Sedentary Behavior in a Flexible Workplace

The motivational profile does matter: an exploratory survey on the influence of remote office work on physical behavior during the COVID19 lockdown

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