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Using Internet of Things to Reduce Office Workers' Sedentary Behavior: Intervention Development Applying the Behavior Change Wheel and Human-Centered Design Approach.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Sedentary behavior (SB) is associated with various adverse health outcomes. The prevalence of prolonged sitting at work among office workers makes a case for SB interventions to target this setting and population. Everyday mundane objects with embedded microelectronics and ubiquitous computing represent a novel mode of delivering health behavior change interventions enabled by internet of things (IoTs). However, little is known about how to develop interventions involving IoT technologies. OBJECTIVE:This paper reports the design and development of an IoT-enabled SB intervention targeting office workers. METHODS:The process was guided by the behavior change wheel (BCW), a systematic framework for theory-informed and evidence-based development of behavior change interventions, complemented by the human-centered design (HCD) approach. Intervention design was shaped by findings from a diary-probed interview study (n=20), a stakeholder design workshop (n=8), and a series of theoretical mapping and collaborative technical design activities. RESULTS:The resulting intervention named WorkMyWay targets a reduction in office workers' prolonged stationary behaviors at work and an increase in regular breaks by modifying behavioral determinants in 11 theoretical domains with 17 behavior change techniques. The delivery technology consists of a wearable activity tracker, a light-emitting diode reminder device attached to a vessel (ie, water bottle or cup), and a companion Android app connected to both devices over Bluetooth. The delivery plan consists of a 2-week baseline assessment, a 30-min face-to-face action planning session, and 6-week self-directed use of the delivery technology. CONCLUSIONS:This is the first study to demonstrate that it is possible to develop a complex IoT-enabled intervention by applying a combination of the BCW and HCD approaches. The next step is to assess the feasibility of WorkMyWay prior to testing intervention efficacy in a full-scale trial. The intervention mapping table that links individual intervention components with hypothesized mechanisms of action can serve as the basis for testing and clarifying theory-based mechanisms of action in future studies on WorkMyWay.

SUBMITTER: Huang Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7424484 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Using Internet of Things to Reduce Office Workers' Sedentary Behavior: Intervention Development Applying the Behavior Change Wheel and Human-Centered Design Approach.

Huang Yitong Y Benford Steve S Price Dominic D Patel Roma R Li Benqian B Ivanov Alex A Blake Holly H

JMIR mHealth and uHealth 20200729 7

<h4>Background</h4>Sedentary behavior (SB) is associated with various adverse health outcomes. The prevalence of prolonged sitting at work among office workers makes a case for SB interventions to target this setting and population. Everyday mundane objects with embedded microelectronics and ubiquitous computing represent a novel mode of delivering health behavior change interventions enabled by internet of things (IoTs). However, little is known about how to develop interventions involving IoT ...[more]

PMID: 32723716

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Project description:BackgroundThere is a clear public health need to reduce office workers' sedentary behaviors (SBs), especially in the workplace. Digital technologies are increasingly being deployed in the workplace to measure and modify office workers' SBs. However, knowledge of the range and nature of research on this topic is limited; it also remains unclear to what extent digital interventions have exploited the technological possibilities.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the technological landscape of digital interventions for SB reduction in office workers and to map the research activity in this field.MethodsTerms related to SB, office worker, and digital technology were applied in various combinations to search Cochrane Library, Joanna Briggs Institute Database of Systematic Reviews, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Scopus, Association for Computing Machinery Digital Library, Engineering index Compendex, and Google Scholar for the years 2000 to 2017. Data regarding the study and intervention details were extracted. Interventions and studies were categorized into development, feasibility and/piloting, evaluation, or implementation phase based on the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions. A novel framework was developed to classify technological features and annotate technological configurations. A mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used to summarize data.ResultsWe identified 68 articles describing 45 digital interventions designed to intervene with office workers' SB. A total of 6 common technological features had been applied to interventions with various combinations. Configurations such as "information delivery and mediated organizational and social support" and "digital log and automated tailored feedback" were well established in evaluation and implementation studies; in contrast, the integration of passive data collection, connected devices, and ATF or scheduled prompts was mostly present in development and piloting research.ConclusionsThis review is the first to map and describe the use of digital technologies in research on SB reduction in office workers. Interdisciplinary collaborations can help to maximize the potential of technologies. As novel modes of delivery that capitalize on embedded computing and electronics, wireless technologies have been developed and piloted in engineering, computing, and design fields, efforts can be directed to move them to the next phase of evaluation with more rigorous study designs. Quality of research may be improved by fostering conversations between different research communities and encouraging researchers to plan, conduct, and report their research under the MRC framework. This review will be particularly informative to those deciding on areas where further research or development is needed and to those looking to locate the relevant expertise, resources, and design inputs when designing their own systems or interventions.

Project description:BACKGROUND: Occupational sedentary behaviour is an important contributor to overall sedentary risk. There is limited evidence for effective workplace interventions to reduce occupational sedentary time and increase light activity during work hours. The purpose of the study was to determine if participatory workplace interventions could reduce total sedentary time, sustained sedentary time (bouts >30 minutes), increase the frequency of breaks in sedentary time and promote light intensity activity and moderate/vigorous activity (MVPA) during work hours. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial (ANZCTR NUMBER: ACTN12612000743864) was conducted using clerical, call centre and data processing workers (n?=?62, aged 25-59 years) in 3 large government organisations in Perth, Australia. Three groups developed interventions with a participatory approach: 'Active office' (n?=?19), 'Active Workstation' and promotion of incidental office activity; 'Traditional physical activity' (n?=?14), pedometer challenge to increase activity between productive work time and 'Office ergonomics' (n?=?29), computer workstation design and breaking up computer tasks. Accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X, 7 days) determined sedentary time, sustained sedentary time, breaks in sedentary time, light intensity activity and MVPA on work days and during work hours were measured before and following a 12 week intervention period. RESULTS: For all participants there was a significant reduction in sedentary time on work days (-1.6%, p?=?0.006) and during work hours (-1.7%, p?=?0.014) and a significant increase in number of breaks/sedentary hour on work days (0.64, p?=?0.005) and during work hours (0.72, p?=?0.015); there was a concurrent significant increase in light activity during work hours (1.5%, p?=?0.012) and MVPA on work days (0.6%, p?=?0.012). CONCLUSIONS: This study explored novel ways to modify work practices to reduce occupational sedentary behaviour. Participatory workplace interventions can reduce sedentary time, increase the frequency of breaks and improve light activity and MVPA of office workers by using a variety of interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTN12612000743864.

Project description:BackgroundSedentary behavior (SB) and lack of physical activity (PA) have been associated with poorer health outcomes and are increasingly prevalent in individuals working in sedentary occupations such as office jobs. Gamification and nudges have attracted attention as promising strategies to promote changes in health behavior. However, most effectiveness studies thus far lacked active controls, and few studies have tested interventions combining these strategies.ObjectiveThis study investigates the effectiveness of combining a gamified digital app with physical nudges to increase PA and reduce SB in Dutch office workers.MethodsEmployees in the municipality of Rotterdam (N=298) from two office locations were randomized at the location level to either a 10-week intervention, combining a 5-week gamification phase encompassing a gamified digital app with social support features and a 5-week physical nudges phase, or to an active control (ie, basic digital app with self-monitoring and goal setting). The primary outcome was the daily step count, objectively measured via accelerometers. Secondary outcomes were self-reported PA and SB measured at baseline and at 5, 10, and 14 weeks. Mixed effects models were used to analyze the effects of the intervention on the outcome measures.ResultsA total of 78.5% (234/298) of participants completed the study and provided accelerometer data, whereas 36.9% (110/298) participants completed the self-report measures at 14 weeks. In the gamification phase, step count data were missing for 13.5% (473/3492) of observations in the control and 11.4% (445/3888) in the intervention condition; however, these percentages increased to 39.6% (1154/2910) and 59.6% (1932/3492) at follow-up, respectively. During the gamification phase, intervention participants increased their number of daily steps by 634 (95% CI 154.2-1113.8; P=.01) more than participants in the control group, after controlling for relevant factors. Improvements were not sustained during the physical nudges phase (P=.76) or follow-up (P=.88).ConclusionsA digital intervention with gamification and social support features significantly increased the step count of office workers compared with an active control. Physical nudges in the workplace were insufficient to promote the maintenance of behavioral changes achieved in the gamification phase. Future research should explore the long-term effectiveness of similar gamified digital interventions.Trial registrationInternational Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 49129401; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN14881571.

Project description:BackgroundOffice workers spend a significant part of their workday sitting. Interventions that aim to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity might be more effective if greater attention is paid to individual perspectives that influence behavioural choices, including beliefs and values. This study aimed to gain insight into office workers' perspectives on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.MethodsSixteen Dutch office workers (50% female) from different professions participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews in March 2019. To facilitate the interviews, participants received a sensitizing booklet one week before the interview. The booklet aimed to trigger them to reflect on their physical activity and sedentary behaviour and on their values in life. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and coded following codebook thematic analysis.ResultsSix themes were identified: 1) beliefs about health effects are specific regarding physical activity, but superficial regarding sedentary behaviour; 2) in addition to 'health' as a value, other values are also given priority; 3) motivations to engage in physical activity mainly stem from prioritizing the value 'health', reflected by a desire to both achieve positive short/mid-term outcomes and to prevent long-term negative outcomes; 4) attitudes towards physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour are diverse and depend on individual values and previous experiences; 5) perceived barriers depend on internal and external factors; 6) supporting factors are related to support and information in the social and physical environment.ConclusionsThe great value that office workers attach to health is reflected in their motivations and attitudes regarding physical activity. Increasing office workers' knowledge of the health risks of prolonged sitting may therefore increase their motivation to sit less. Although 'health' is considered important, other values, including social and work-related values, are sometimes prioritized. We conclude that interventions that aim to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity among office workers could be improved by informing about health effects of sedentary behaviour and short/mid-term benefits of physical activity, including mental health benefits. Moreover, interventions could frame physical activity as congruent with values and support value-congruent choices. Finally, the work environment could support physical activity and interruption of sedentary behaviour.

Dataset Information

Using Internet of Things to Reduce Office Workers' Sedentary Behavior: Intervention Development Applying the Behavior Change Wheel and Human-Centered Design Approach.

Publications

Using Internet of Things to Reduce Office Workers' Sedentary Behavior: Intervention Development Applying the Behavior Change Wheel and Human-Centered Design Approach.

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