Exploring environmental cues to instigate physical movement in the workplace
Kailas Jenkins1,2, Jena Buchan3, Ryan E Rhodes4
1School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, Australia.
Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine
|March 13, 2024
Summary
Environmental cues like office layout and social interactions can prompt light physical activity in sedentary office workers. Identifying these cues can help design workplace interventions to promote habitual movement and reduce sedentary behavior risks.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Behavioral Science
- Environmental Psychology
Background:
- Increasing sedentary jobs pose significant health risks.
- Novel methods to increase physical activity are a priority.
- Workplace environmental cues can prompt light physical activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To qualitatively explore environmental cues that instigate light physical activity in office workplaces.
- To inform behavior change programs promoting habitual movement.
- To identify actionable strategies for reducing sedentary behavior.
Main Methods:
- Purposive sampling of full-time sedentary office workers.
- Semi-structured interviews across commercial, home, and mixed office settings.
- Thematic analysis to identify environmental cues for physical activity.
Main Results:
- Office layout (e.g., beverage stations, restrooms) influences movement.
- Social dynamics (e.g., meetings) and active breaks encourage physical activity.
- Both job-related (e.g., printing) and non-job-related (e.g., chores) tasks can serve as movement triggers.
Conclusions:
- Findings offer insights for behavior change programs.
- Environmental cues can be leveraged for habit-based interventions.
- Strategies can be developed to promote workplace movement and mitigate sedentary risks.
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