The impact of workplace physical activity interventions on university employees health, wellbeing and behaviour change

The benefits of participating in regular physical activity are wide-ranging and well-accepted globally, yet physical inactivity is increasing, especially amongst adults. Occupations involving sedentary behaviour are considered a leading contributor to the inactive lifestyle responsible for many health-related problems. An increasing number of occupations involving predominantly sedentary work and the incidence of work-related health issues is becoming more prevalent, with evidence suggesting that adults spend approximately 60% of their waking time at work. Moreover, higher educational institutions are arguably one of the predominant sources of influence on society and can play a significant role in developing the nation and changing attitudes. Despite this, research in physical activity, sedentary behaviour, health and wellbeing substantially lacks in these settings. Therefore, this thesis adds to the limited knowledge about physical activity, sedentary behaviour, health and wellbeing interventions on university employees in the workplace. To elucidate this, several studies were conducted to evaluate existing physical activity levels and sedentary behaviour, followed by the exploration of barriers to physical activity amongst employees. The outcomes of these investigations contributed to the subsequent design and implementation of five physical activity, health and wellbeing interventions within the university. The five interventions were: • Accessibility and the availability of exercise resources in the workplace • Reducing sitting time through sit and stand workstation amongst university employees • Exploring the impact of seated, standing and walking meetings in the university setting • Getting university employees on the stairs: The impact of points of decision prompts • Promoting PA amongst employees through the 10,000 steps team-based competition Findings concluded that there is potential for physical activity, sedentary behaviour, health, and wellbeing interventions to be extended to other settings to promote physical activity engagement, reduce sitting time, and improve employees health and wellbeing. For instance, findings of intervention one indicate, employees engaged in 1287 minutes of physical activity/exercise throughout the intervention period and staff reported positive mood, work productivity and stress relief by having access to the exercise resources in the workplace. The intervention two findings indicate that having access to the height-adjustable sit-stand workstation resulted in sedentary behaviour reducing from 1974 to 821 minutes. Standing time increased from 439 minutes to 923 minutes across the week. The results of intervention three demonstrated that staff indicated enhanced anger, fatigue, tension, and vigour post seated meeting instead of standing and walking meetings. The outcomes of this thesis demonstrate that these interventions can be generalizable and physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and health-related interventions must be tailored to the needs of employees in other settings. The intervention four results demonstrated that 84 participants noticed the banners, 54 were influenced to take the stairs, 68 felt physical, and 66 felt mental benefits of taking the stairs, whilst 88 suggested that the banners displayed in the workplace will influence them to take the stairs in future. Intervention five showed that the daily average steps increased from 5959 to 10308, and staff reported motivation, competitiveness, enjoyment, active and behaviour change due to 10,000 steps challenge intervention. These findings support the implementation of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and health-related interventions across settings. This thesis contributes to the existing knowledge of behaviour theories, including the Trans-theoretical Model, Self-determination theory and Social-Ecological Model in the subject of exercise psychology associated with public health, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, health, and wellbeing of employees in the university workplace

Barriers to Physical Activity: A Comparison of Afghans Living in the UK and Afghanistan

It is important to understand barriers to Physical Activity (PA), particularly for under researched populations. While a lack of PA has been acknowledged as an important issue for those living in Afghanistan, there have been no published studies exploring barriers to PA within this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore barriers to PA for Afghans and how these differ depending on where they reside: UK or Afghanistan. 930 participants, 578 (291 males; 287 females) were recruited from Afghanistan and 352 (267 males; 85 females) from the UK. A culturally nuanced questionnaire exploring barriers to PA was developed and used to collect data via an online survey software programme. Bayesian ordinal models explored differences between population groups, with results suggesting some barriers are shared across populations but others more pertinent for a particular group. Lack of time and being too tired were barriers for both populations, but were rated higher by those living in Afghanistan; as was a lack of confidence and being uncomfortable with exercise clothing. Afghan females perceived a lack of single- sex facilities, not being able to participate in PA with males, and having to be fully covered outside of the home as important barriers to their PA, but these were more of a barrier for those residing in the UK. The findings highligh

Factors Influencing Saudi Youth Physical Activity Participation: A Qualitative Study Based on the Social Ecological Model

Background: The growing improvement in urbanisation, modes of transportation and the expansion of sedentary behaviour, both at work and home, have resulted in declining rates of physical activity (PA) worldwide. Nearly one-third of the global population aged 15 and over are insufficiently active. The negative effect of physical inactivity has been evidenced and ranked fourth as the lethal cause of death globally. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore the factors influencing PA participation among youths from different geographical locations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: Sixteen focus groups (males = 8 and females = 8) were conducted with a total of 120 secondary school students (male = 63 and female = 57) aged between 15 and 19 years. The focus groups were analysed to identify key themes through the process of thematic analysis. Results: Results from the focus groups indicated that a lack of time, safety, parental support, policies, access to sport and PA facilities, and transportation, as well as climate were reported as barriers to PA participation. Discussion and conclusion: The current research contributes to the scarce literature focused on the multidimensional effects on Saudi youth PA behaviour from different geographical locations. This qualitative approach has provided the participants a voice, and the overall study offers valuable evidence as well as invaluable information to policymakers, public health departments, and local authorities for PA intervention based on the environment and the community

Incentivised physical activity intervention promoting daily steps among university employees in the workplace through a team-based competition

Introduction: The benefits of walking on health and well-being is well established and regarded as the most accessible form of physical activity (PA) that most individuals can incorporate into their lives. Despite the benefits, the impact of a competitive walking intervention combined with a prize incentive in the workplace is yet to be established. The aim of this intervention was to promote PA among university employees through teams-based competition with a prize incentive targeted towards the recommended 10,000 steps per day. Methods: A total of 49 employees participated and formed eight departmental teams ranging from Senior Admin management, Educational & Social work, Nursing & Midwifery, Sport & Exercise, Health Sciences, Admin Assistant, Library, and IT to compete in a walking intervention. Each team was handed an ActiGraph wGT3X-BT from Monday to Friday to record their walking steps. Steps. Post intervention participants completed an open-ended survey to provide their views about the intervention. Results: The ActiGraph findings determined that steps increased by 4,799 per day from daily baseline of 5,959 to 10,758 throughout this intervention. The themes from qualitative data showed that the prize incentive and competitive nature of this intervention has motivated staff to walk more, changed their behaviour, enjoyed the team-based competition, and improved perceived productivity in the workplace. Discussion and conclusion: This intervention increased employees’ daily steps by 4,799 and met the 10,000 steps guideline. The ‘Health Sciences’ team recorded the highest steps 531,342 followed by the ‘Education and Social Work’ accumulating 498,045 steps throughout this intervention. This intervention with prize incentive demonstrated a positive impact on employees personal and work-based outcomes as well as contributed to the workplace PA, health, and wellbeing literature, and more specifically, to the scarce research focused on university settings

Exploring the Impact of a Global Pandemic (COVID-19) on Factors Impacting the Resilience of Top-Tier London Hockey Players

Introduction. The cessation of all professional and amateur sport due to the COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic effect on the mental and physical capacity of the United Kingdom populace, but its impact was arguably felt more deeply by the athletic population. Thus, this research explored which limiting factors were experienced by team hockey players during the national lockdowns (1.0–3.0) with the objective of enabling coaches and team management to better support and protect players’ physiological and psychological resilience in return to play. Methods. Data were collected over 12 weeks during the 3rd UK lockdown (March 2021) from two top-tier London clubs. Hockey players (n = 63) completed an online questionnaire that included validated tests for self-compassion, sport motivation, and a custom open-ended style qualitative questionnaire on nutrition and lifestyle behaviour. Mean self-compassion, motivation scores, and common indicative limiting factors were evaluated and ranked according to significance. Results. High “rebound resilience” was found with low amotivation scores (m = 8.33) and strong affinity for their sport identifying with the statement “because participation in my sport is an integral part of my life” with correspondingly high integrated regulation scores (m = 21.43). Participants’ self-compassion showed the highest scores in mindfulness (m = 3.66) and lowest in self-kindness (m = 2.84) indicating a common trait in athletes for self-criticism. The highest limiting factor was cited as “no social outlets, social interactions, or seeing friends and family”. Conclusion. This study revealed the critical role that social connectedness plays in promoting resilience and enhancing motivation in return to play during extremely challenging circumstances. When the social outlet is absent, enhancing resilience factors with mindfulness, self-compassion, and the creation of a more facilitative environment where player welfare takes priority are potential strategies to support players when they are unable to participate in their sport

A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring the Physical Activity Levels of Afghans and Other South Asian Youth in the UK

: Introduction: Participating in regular physical activity (PA) has numerous benefits, such as reducing obesity, chronic degenerative conditions, and depression. Despite many health-related benefits, physical inactivity is increasing in young people worldwide, especially in ethnic minority groups, such as British South Asians (BSAs). The aim of this study was to explore the PA levels of BSAs, specifically focusing on youth from Afghan, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian groups. Methods: A total of 191 (Afghans N = 44; Bangladeshi N = 39; Indian N = 56, Pakistani N = 52) youth from the West Midlands (UK) participated in this study (mean age 15.4 ± 0.5). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire—Short Form was used to measure PA levels. Data were modelled using a Bayesian approach to determine differences in PA levels. Results: The results indicated that 88.5% Afghans, 80% Bangladeshi, 78.6% Indians and 63% Pakistani reported engaging in <30 min of PA per day. Additionally, boys were more active than girls across all ethnic groups. Discussion: This study highlighted an alarmingly low proportion of young people from each BSA ethnic group meeting the PA guidelines. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore and compare PA levels of the young British Afghan population, thus contributing novel findings to the area of BSA PA. Conclusion: Overall, the vast majority of BSA young people failed to meet the recommended PA guidelines of 60 min per day. Future research could utilise objective methods, such as Global Positioning System, pedometers and accelerometery to track and monitor PA levels, and could adopt an ecological approach to explore determinants of PA within each ethnic and gender group

A Comparison of Physical Activity and Sedentary Lifestyle of University Employees through ActiGraph and IPAQ-LF

Introduction: The benefits of participating in physical activity (PA) are wide-ranging, such as lowering the risk of diabetes and anxiety. Employees’ engagement in PA can also benefit their employers due to the potential reduction in absenteeism and increased productivity. However, the PA levels and sedentary behaviour of university employees are yet to be examined using a mixed methods approach. This study aimed to monitor the PA and sedentary lifestyle (SL) of university employees’ objectively and subjectively for a whole week. Methods: Sixty-four employees (male = 33; female = 31) wore a PA monitor for a whole week and simultaneously completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Long Form (IPAQ-LF) to evaluate light, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and SL amongst employees from different job roles such as Academics, Administration, and Professionals Service. Results: The ActiGraph results determined that employees engaged in significantly more light PA, and MVPA compared to the self-reported IPAQ-LF (p 0.05). However, there were significant differences across gender light PA Z = –6.139, p = .001, MVPA Z = –4.962, p = .001 but no significant differences in SL Z = –.869, p = .385. Also, there were significant differences across job roles light PA, MVPA (p 0.05). Discussion and conclusion: Findings suggest, IPAQ-LF presented lower light PA, MVPA, and SL than ActiGraph. Thus, considering the impact of prolonged SL on health and wellbeing, future research is needed to explore the challenges this population faces regarding PA engagement and propose potential interventions to reduce SL amongst university employees

The impact of workplace physical activity interventions on university employees health, wellbeing and behaviour change

The benefits of participating in regular physical activity are wide-ranging and well-accepted globally, yet physical inactivity is increasing, especially amongst adults. Occupations involving sedentary behaviour are considered a leading contributor to the inactive lifestyle responsible for many health-related problems. An increasing number of occupations involving predominantly sedentary work and the incidence of work-related health issues is becoming more prevalent, with evidence suggesting that adults spend approximately 60% of their waking time at work. Moreover, higher educational institutions are arguably one of the predominant sources of influence on society and can play a significant role in developing the nation and changing attitudes. Despite this, research in physical activity, sedentary behaviour, health and wellbeing substantially lacks in these settings. Therefore, this thesis adds to the limited knowledge about physical activity, sedentary behaviour, health and wellbeing interventions on university employees in the workplace. To elucidate this, several studies were conducted to evaluate existing physical activity levels and sedentary behaviour, followed by the exploration of barriers to physical activity amongst employees. The outcomes of these investigations contributed to the subsequent design and implementation of five physical activity, health and wellbeing interventions within the university. The five interventions were: • Accessibility and the availability of exercise resources in the workplace • Reducing sitting time through sit and stand workstation amongst university employees • Exploring the impact of seated, standing and walking meetings in the university setting • Getting university employees on the stairs: The impact of points of decision prompts • Promoting PA amongst employees through the 10,000 steps team-based competition Findings concluded that there is potential for physical activity, sedentary behaviour, health, and wellbeing interventions to be extended to other settings to promote physical activity engagement, reduce sitting time, and improve employees health and wellbeing. For instance, findings of intervention one indicate, employees engaged in 1287 minutes of physical activity/exercise throughout the intervention period and staff reported positive mood, work productivity and stress relief by having access to the exercise resources in the workplace. The intervention two findings indicate that having access to the height-adjustable sit-stand workstation resulted in sedentary behaviour reducing from 1974 to 821 minutes. Standing time increased from 439 minutes to 923 minutes across the week. The results of intervention three demonstrated that staff indicated enhanced anger, fatigue, tension, and vigour post seated meeting instead of standing and walking meetings. The outcomes of this thesis demonstrate that these interventions can be generalizable and physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and health-related interventions must be tailored to the needs of employees in other settings. The intervention four results demonstrated that 84 participants noticed the banners, 54 were influenced to take the stairs, 68 felt physical, and 66 felt mental benefits of taking the stairs, whilst 88 suggested that the banners displayed in the workplace will influence them to take the stairs in future. Intervention five showed that the daily average steps increased from 5959 to 10308, and staff reported motivation, competitiveness, enjoyment, active and behaviour change due to 10,000 steps challenge intervention. These findings support the implementation of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and health-related interventions across settings. This thesis contributes to the existing knowledge of behaviour theories, including the Trans-theoretical Model, Self-determination theory and Social-Ecological Model in the subject of exercise psychology associated with public health, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, health, and wellbeing of employees in the university workplace

The Correlation of Built Environment on Hypertension, and Weight Status amongst Adolescence in Saudi Arabia

The prevalence of hypertension is becoming more common in children and adolescents than ever before. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the associations between the built environment on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, waist circumference, and health amongst adolescents in Saudi Arabia. A systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate and waist circumference of 380 boys and girls aged between 15&ndash;19 years old (male = 199 and females = 181) were measured. The International physical activity Questionnaire Short Form was used to assess the physical activity levels and time spent sitting. The statistical analysis conducted were means and standard deviation, 2-way and 3-way of variance (ANOVA), Bonferroni post hoc tests, Chi-squared distribution and Pearson&rsquo;s correlations. Among males, 16.75% were classified as hypertensive, 12.69% as pre-hypertensive, and 70.56% as normal whereas, females, 23.20% were classified as hypertensive, 12.15% as pre-hypertensive and 64.64% as normal. There were significant differences (F1,379 = 16.50, p &lt; 0.001) between males and females waist circumference. Pearson&rsquo;s correlation also revealed significant positive relationships in sedentary time (r = 0.123, p &lt; 0.016), WC (r = 0.104, p &lt; 0.043), and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.110, p &lt; 0.032). The results revealed that systolic and diastolic blood pressure are significantly related to multiple measures of weight status, and sedentary behaviour. The results also highlight that active youth had lower resting heart rate compared to inactive peers. The present findings provide a foundation of knowledge for future research and highlight the major need for research and policy interventions, to address the concerning health habits of Al-Ahsa youth and broader Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring the Physical Activity Levels of Afghans and Other South Asian Youth in the UK

Introduction: Participating in regular physical activity (PA) has numerous benefits, such as reducing obesity, chronic degenerative conditions, and depression. Despite many health-related benefits, physical inactivity is increasing in young people worldwide, especially in ethnic minority groups, such as British South Asians (BSAs). The aim of this study was to explore the PA levels of BSAs, specifically focusing on youth from Afghan, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian groups. Methods: A total of 191 (Afghans N = 44; Bangladeshi N = 39; Indian N = 56, Pakistani N = 52) youth from the West Midlands (UK) participated in this study (mean age 15.4 ± 0.5). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire—Short Form was used to measure PA levels. Data were modelled using a Bayesian approach to determine differences in PA levels. Results: The results indicated that 88.5% Afghans, 80% Bangladeshi, 78.6% Indians and 63% Pakistani reported engaging in <30 min of PA per day. Additionally, boys were more active than girls across all ethnic groups. Discussion: This study highlighted an alarmingly low proportion of young people from each BSA ethnic group meeting the PA guidelines. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore and compare PA levels of the young British Afghan population, thus contributing novel findings to the area of BSA PA. Conclusion: Overall, the vast majority of BSA young people failed to meet the recommended PA guidelines of 60 min per day. Future research could utilise objective methods, such as Global Positioning System, pedometers and accelerometery to track and monitor PA levels, and could adopt an ecological approach to explore determinants of PA within each ethnic and gender group