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Occupational physical activity habits of UK office workers: cross-sectional data from the Active Buildings Study

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posted on 2023-07-26, 14:22 authored by Lee Smith, Alexia Sawyer, Benjamin Gardner, Katri Seppala, Marcella Ucci, Alexi Marmot, Pippa Lally, Abigail Fisher
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 hours on 5 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, 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. 81% 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, though in light of potential compensation effects, such interventions should perhaps focus on promoting moderate-intensity activity.

History

Refereed

  • Yes

Volume

15

Issue number

6

Page range

1214

Publication title

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

ISSN

1660-4601

Publisher

MDPI

File version

  • Published version

Language

  • eng

Legacy posted date

2018-06-08

Legacy creation date

2018-06-07

Legacy Faculty/School/Department

ARCHIVED Faculty of Science & Technology (until September 2018)

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