Physical inactivity among corporate bank workers in Accra, Ghana: Implications for health promotion

INTRODUCTION

Any type of activity that results in caloric expenditure has the potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases; nonetheless, most people, especially office workers, are physically inactive. This study sought to evaluate the extent of physical inactivity and its determinants among the staff of selected banks in Accra, Ghana.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study involving 219 banking staff randomly selected from five commercial banking institutions in Accra, Ghana. Demographic data was collected with a structured questionnaire. Physical inactivity was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Study associations were determined using univariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression models with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) estimated.

RESULTS

Two hundred and nineteen (219) participants were recruited, out of which 56.6% were males and 43.4% were females. The mean age (± SD) of the participants was 40.0±7.9 years. Physical inactivity was observed in 179 (81.7%) participants. The following were independently associated with physical inactivity: travel-related activities (AOR, 0.151; 95% CI, 0.059-0.384; p<0.001); working in the bank for 6-10 years (AOR, 4.617; 95% CI, 1.590-13.405; p = 0.005); and working in the bank for 11 years and above (AOR, 2.816; 95% CI, 1.076-7.368; p = 0.035).

CONCLUSION

Physical inactivity was very high among bankers. Travel-related activities reduced physical inactivity whiles working at the bank for more than six years increased physical inactivity. Thus, promoting regular physical activity, frequent monitoring, and implementation of other appropriate healthy lifestyle intervention strategies are vital to reduce risk of early onset disease conditions associated with physical inactivity in this population.

Physical activity, sitting time, neck disability and posture in workers using visual display terminals (VDT)

BACKGROUND

Musculoskeletal pain represents a major public health problem. Workers who use visual display terminals (VDT) have suffered an increase in neck pain in recent decades.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between physical activity (PA), sitting time, posture, and neck disability in a population of employed adults who use a computer at work.

METHODS

In this descriptive-correlational study, 88 workers with a mean age of 48.31 years participated. All of the participants filled out the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and Neck Disability Index (NDI). The postural situation was also assessed with Posture Assessment Software (PAS/SAPO).

RESULTS

A significant and inverse relationship was observed between the habit of PA practice and the Body Mass Index (BMI). A total of 59.1% of the participants have a moderate PA index. There was a statistically significant relationship between the NDI and the time that workers spend sitting in a workday. A significance level of p≤0.05 was established for all the statistical analyses.

CONCLUSION

The increase in sitting time produces an increase in neck disability among workers and there are no significant differences between the level of PA and the cervical angles analyzed. The promotion of leisure-time PA and the reduction of prolonged uninterrupted sitting time at work could be one of the means to reduce musculoskeletal morbidity in the working population.

Subjective Theories of Chinese Office Workers With Irregular Physical Activity: An Interview-Based Study

Objectives

Individuals with irregular physical activity (PA) participation are defined as fluctuators. This study aimed to comprehend how fluctuators’ perceived barriers and motivators in their subjective theories are exhibited and cognitively represented in relation to their everyday PA practices and lapses.

Methods

The design of “Research Program Subjective Theories” was used to explore and present fluctuators’ cognition concerning PA participation. Thirty fluctuators were invited to a semi-structured interview. By inductive and deductive coding, fluctuators’ verbal data were converted into word categories for extracting commonalities and comparing differences. By retaining the remaining word categories of high frequency and exploring the interrelationships among the remained word categories using statistical analyses, a superstructure (i.e., visualized representation of fluctuators’ overall cognition) including fluctuators’ main PA motivators, barriers, and behavioral outcomes was compiled.

Results

Fluctuators face common motivators as barriers, such as lack of time, lack of willpower, lack of social support, and physical reasons (discomfort, injuries, or diseases). Fluctuators’ subjective theories primarily differed in motivational configurations. The physically motivated fluctuators (i.e., those predominantly motivated by physically related motivators) were more linked with low PA level, while the mixed motivated fluctuators (i.e., motivated by both physically related and emotionally or socially related motivators) were more likely associated with moderate PA level. The exemplars of the three typical fluctuators were also demonstrated to reveal their real experiences and situations in the daily life context.

Conclusion

Due to the fact that fluctuation research is still in its infancy, this study represents a significant opportunity to promote knowledge growth in this area. Future studies are recommended to convert findings of the present study into interventions that benefit fluctuators in overcoming perceived barriers and enhancing motivations to eventually participate in regular PA.

Physical activity always benefits employees, right? Examining the role of physical activity type, grit, stress, and career satisfaction

This study tests whether employee participation in different types of physical activity benefits employees' training stress and career satisfaction perceptions differently and if grit, as a psychological resource, mediates this relationship. In two samples, we assess whether (1) regular physical activity; or (2) exercise to reach a competitive goal have similar associations with employee outcomes. In study 1, we find no relationship between employee engagement in regular physical activity and the outcomes. Moreover, grit's consistency of effort mediates the physical activity – training stress relationship, exacerbating employees' training stress. In study 2, employee exercise reduces career satisfaction and increases training stress. Importantly, grit's perseverance dimension increases their career satisfaction, and the consistency of interest dimension lessens training stress. Thus, we find evidence that employee participation in different types of physical activity leads to divergent outcomes, and that grit as a mediator only benefits employees exercising for a competitive goal.

The formula for calculating the predicted value of cardiorespiratory endurance using a foot rest-based cardiorespiratory exercise device

This study developed a formula for calculating the predicted VO2 max value using a prototype model of foot-based cardiorespiratory exercise. Forty sedentary workers (20 men and 20 women) were enrolled via consecutive sampling. They underwent direct measurement of VO2 max using spiroergometry as the gold standard; the predicted VO2 max value was calculated using a prototype model of foot-based cardiorespiratory exercise, which was performed on consecutive days. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to formulate the equation for the predicted VO2 max value by including potential contributing variables: gender, body height, body weight and heart rate. Bland-Altman test was used for assessing the agreement level for the predicted VO2 max value. The equation for the predicted VO2 max value was formulated as 3.2 + 0.15 optimal exercise heart rate -5.5 sexes (0 for men, 1 for women). The agreement level for the formula was acceptable in all measurement result ranges. The formula developed in this study can be used to measure the predicted VO2 max value with an acceptable agreement level.

The environmental enrichment model revisited: A translatable paradigm to study the stress of our modern lifestyle

Mounting evidence shows that physical activity, social interaction and sensorimotor stimulation provided by environmental enrichment (EE) exert several neurobehavioural effects traditionally interpreted as enhancements relative to standard housing (SH) conditions. However, this evidence rather indicates that SH induces many deficits, which could be ameliorated by exposing animals to an environment vaguely mimicking some features of their wild habitat. Rearing rodents in social isolation (SI) can aggravate such deficits, which can be restored by SH or EE. It is not surprising, therefore, that most preclinical stress models have included severe and unnatural stressors to produce a stress response prominent enough to be distinguishable from SH or SI-frequently used as control groups. Although current stress models induce a stress-related phenotype, they may fail to represent the stress of our urban lifestyle characterized by SI, poor housing and working environments, sedentarism, obesity and limited access to recreational activities and exercise. In the following review, we discuss the stress of living in urban areas and how exposures to and performing activities in green environments are stress relievers. Based on the commonalities between human and animal EE, we discuss how models of housing conditions (e.g., SI-SH-EE) could be adapted to study the stress of our modern lifestyle. The housing conditions model might be easy to implement and replicate leading to more translational results. It may also contribute to accomplishing some ethical commitments by promoting the refinement of procedures to model stress, diminishing animal suffering, enhancing animal welfare and eventually reducing the number of experimental animals needed.

Are blue-collar workers more physically active than white-collar at work?

This study evaluates the physical activity level at work and leisure time of white-collar and two groups of blue-collar workers from the latex glove industry and the association of physical activity level and musculoskeletal complains and work ability. The workers' sociodemographic and behavioral health characteristics, work ability index, musculoskeletal complains, total step count and caloric expenditure for three consecutive days, were assessed. The blue-collar workers that move most from the workstation (longD) were more physically active at work compared to white-collar and blue-collar that moved close the workstation (shortD). But in leisure-time the result is reversed, white-collar and blue-collar groups were significantly more active. There was no association between physical activity level and musculoskeletal pain intensity and work ability. All the groups of workers exhibited satisfactory physical activity levels, but only blue-collar (longD) were more physically active (10,000 steps per day).

Neurobehavioral Effects of Restricted and Unpredictable Environmental Enrichment in Rats

To study how motivational factors modulate experience-dependent neurobehavioral plasticity, we modify a protocol of environmental enrichment (EE) in rats. We assumed that the benefits derived from EE might vary according to the level of incentive salience attributed to it. To enhance the rewarding properties of EE, access to the EE cage varied randomly from 2 to 48 h for 30 days (REE). The REE group was enriched only 50% of the time and was compared to standard housing and continuous EE (CEE) groups. As behavioral readout, we analyzed the spontaneous activity and the ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) within the EE cage weekly, and in the open field test at the end of the experiment. In the cage, REE increased the utilization of materials, physical activity, and the rate of appetitive USVs. In the OF, the CEE-induced enhancements in novelty habituation and social signaling were equaled by the REE. At the neural level, we measured the expression of genes related to neural plasticity and epigenetic regulations in different brain regions. In the dorsal striatum and hippocampus, REE upregulated the expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, its tropomyosin kinase B receptor, and the DNA methyltransferase 3A. Altogether, our results suggest that the higher activity within the cage and the augmented incentive motivation provoked by the REE boosted its neurobehavioral effects equaling or surpassing those observed in the CEE condition. As constant exposures to treatments or stimulating environments are virtually impossible for humans, restricted EE protocols would have greater translational value than traditional ones.

Psychosocial profiles of physical activity fluctuation in office employees: A latent profile analysis

OBJECTIVES

Fluctuation is a common but neglected phenomenon of physical activity (PA) behavior. This study aimed to explore the psychosocial profiles of PA fluctuation in office employees, and to examine the association of latent profiles with demographics and PA level.

METHOD

434 Chinese office employees who were identified as PA fluctuators (M = 32.4 years, SD = 6.9, 55.5% female) completed a cross-sectional online survey covering demographics, PA behavior, and six psychosocial indicators (self-efficacy, planning, action control, affective attitude, social support, and perceived barriers). Latent profile analysis was used to determine PA fluctuators' psychosocial profiles. Associated factors of profile membership were identified with multinomial logistic regression.

RESULTS

The two-profile model (uncommitted vs. moderately committed) was selected as the best solution. The moderately committed group (n = 346, 79.7%) possessed a more active mindset by reporting significantly higher scores of self-efficacy (t = 9.42 p < .001), planning (t = 16.33 p < .001), action control (t = 14.55 p < .001), affective attitude (t = 13.33 p < .001), and social support (t = 11.50 p < .001) compared with the uncommitted group (n = 88, 20.3%). Results from a multinomial logistic regression showed that the moderately committed profile was associated with normal weight status (OR = 2.00, p< .05), having a medium managerial position (OR = 2.54, p< .01), and high level of moderate to vigorous PA behavior (OR = 4.85, p< .001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate the variability of PA fluctuators' mindsets. Future tailored interventions are recommended to promote PA behavior for this population based on the categorization from the present study.

Break in Sedentary Behavior Reduces the Risk of Noncommunicable Diseases and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors among Workers in a Petroleum Company

Although prolonged sitting appears as a novel risk factor related to health outcomes for all ages, its association needs to be replicated in occupational conditions. This study explored the associations between sedentary behavior and four noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as well as two cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs) among workers in a petroleum company, Thailand. All workers were invited to complete the online self-report questionnaire. Sedentary behavior was measured as the amount of time sitting at work, during recreation, and while commuting. Out of 3365 workers contacted, 1133 (34%) participated. Prevalence of NCDs and CMRFs was 36% and was positively associated with sedentary behavior. After adjusting for age, BMI, and exercise, the risk of NCDs and CMRFs for sedentary office work was 40% greater compared with more active field work. Those who took a break without sitting more than twice a day and commuted by walking or cycling had less risk of NCDs and CMRFs. The total duration of sedentary behavior was 10 h/day, and two-thirds of that total was workplace sitting. This was significantly associated with NCDs and CMRFs (p < 0.001). Day-and-night rotating shiftwork was negatively associated with NCDs and CMRFs (p < 0.001). Sedentary behavior should be considered a health risk among workers. Hence, to promote a healthy lifestyle and safe workplace, organizations should encourage standing activities during break and physically active commutes, and have workers avoid prolonged sitting.