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Internal but Not External Building Design Associated With More Occupational Physical Activity
Jacob Gallagher1, Lucas J Carr1
1Behavioral Medicine Laboratory, Department of Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
HERD
|August 8, 2023
Summary
Internal building design features encourage physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior in full-time workers. Enhancing workplace design can lead to more movement and less sitting during the workday.
Area of Science:
- Occupational health
- Environmental psychology
- Behavioral science
Background:
- Limited research exists on how internal building design influences physical activity.
- Understanding these relationships is crucial for promoting healthier work environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between internal building design features and physical activity.
- To examine the relationship between building design and sedentary behaviors among workers.
Main Methods:
- 114 full-time workers wore activity monitors for 4 workdays.
- Participants completed surveys on worksite design features and desk type.
- General linear models analyzed the association between design features and activity/sedentary time.
Main Results:
- Positive association found between internal design scores and occupational physical activity.
- Each additional internal design feature correlated with an increase of 64.5 steps/hr.
- Desk job workers exhibited significantly lower steps/hr and higher sitting time.
Conclusions:
- Internal design features in workplaces can promote increased physical activity.
- These features may contribute to reducing sedentary time during work hours.
- Further longitudinal research is recommended to confirm the impact of design modifications.
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