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...
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doaj-90486254dc954c1090d4194111bcc5582020-11-25T01:39:53ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1660-46012018-06-01156121410.3390/ijerph15061214ijerph15061214Occupational Physical Activity Habits of UK Office Workers: Cross-Sectional Data from the Active Buildings StudyLee Smith0Alexia Sawyer1Benjamin Gardner2Katri Seppala3Marcella Ucci4Alexi Marmot5Pippa Lally6Abi Fisher7The Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UKDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UKDepartment of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UKDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UKUCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0NN, UKUCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, Gordon House, 29 Gordon Square, London, WC1H OPP, UKDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UKDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UKHabitual 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.http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/6/1214occupational physical activitysedentary behaviourstair climbinghabitautomaticity |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Lee Smith Alexia Sawyer Benjamin Gardner Katri Seppala Marcella Ucci Alexi Marmot Pippa Lally Abi Fisher |
spellingShingle |
Lee Smith Alexia Sawyer Benjamin Gardner Katri Seppala Marcella Ucci Alexi Marmot Pippa Lally Abi Fisher Occupational Physical Activity Habits of UK Office Workers: Cross-Sectional Data from the Active Buildings Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health occupational physical activity sedentary behaviour stair climbing habit automaticity |
author_facet |
Lee Smith Alexia Sawyer Benjamin Gardner Katri Seppala Marcella Ucci Alexi Marmot Pippa Lally Abi Fisher |
author_sort |
Lee Smith |
title |
Occupational Physical Activity Habits of UK Office Workers: Cross-Sectional Data from the Active Buildings Study |
title_short |
Occupational Physical Activity Habits of UK Office Workers: Cross-Sectional Data from the Active Buildings Study |
title_full |
Occupational Physical Activity Habits of UK Office Workers: Cross-Sectional Data from the Active Buildings Study |
title_fullStr |
Occupational Physical Activity Habits of UK Office Workers: Cross-Sectional Data from the Active Buildings Study |
title_full_unstemmed |
Occupational Physical Activity Habits of UK Office Workers: Cross-Sectional Data from the Active Buildings Study |
title_sort |
occupational physical activity habits of uk office workers: cross-sectional data from the active buildings study |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2018-06-01 |
description |
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. |
topic |
occupational physical activity sedentary behaviour stair climbing habit automaticity |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/6/1214 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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