Dataset Information

The social and physical workplace environment and commute mode: A natural experimental study.

ABSTRACT: Despite strong evidence for health benefits from active travel, levels remain low in many countries. Changes to the physical and social workplace environment might encourage active travel but evaluation has been limited. We explored associations between changes in the physical and social workplace environment and changes in commute mode over one year among 419 participants in the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study. In adjusted analyses, an increase in the presence of one physical characteristic (e.g. bicycle parking or shower facilities) was associated with a 3.3% (95% confidence interval 1.0-5.6) reduction in the proportion of commutes by private motor vehicle and a 4.4% (95% CI 1.2-7.7) increase in the proportion of trips including active modes among men. These associations were not seen in women. A change to a more favourable social environment for walking or cycling among workplace management was associated with an increased proportion of commutes including active modes in women (4.5%, 95% CI 1.4-7.5) but not men. However, in both genders a change to more a favourable social environment for cycling among colleagues was associated with a reduced proportion of commutes by exclusively active modes (-2.8%, 95% CI -5.0 to -0.6). This study provides longitudinal evidence for gender differences in the associations between workplace environment and commute mode. A more supportive physical environment was associated with more active commuting in men, while the social environment appeared to have more complex associations that were stronger among women.

SUBMITTER: Patterson R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7723790 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The social and physical workplace environment and commute mode: A natural experimental study.

Patterson Richard R Ogilvie David D Panter Jenna J

Preventive medicine reports 20201128

Despite strong evidence for health benefits from active travel, levels remain low in many countries. Changes to the physical and social workplace environment might encourage active travel but evaluation has been limited. We explored associations between changes in the physical and social workplace environment and changes in commute mode over one year among 419 participants in the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study. In adjusted analyses, an increase in the presence of one physical characteri ...[more]

PMID: 33318886

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Project description:Quorum-sensing (QS) is a cell-cell communication system that controls gene expression in many bacterial species, mediated by diffusible signal molecules. While the intracellular regulatory mechanisms of QS are often well-understood, the functional roles of QS remain controversial. In particular, the use of multiple signals by many bacterial species poses a serious challenge to current functional theories. Here we address this challenge by showing that bacteria can use multiple QS signals to infer both their social (density) and physical (mass-transfer) environment. Analytical and evolutionary simulation models show that the detection of and response to complex social/physical contrasts requires multiple signals with distinct half-lives and combinatorial (non-additive) responses to signal concentrations. We test these predictions using the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and demonstrate significant differences in signal decay between its two primary signal molecules as well as diverse combinatorial responses to dual signal inputs. QS is associated with the control of secreted factors, and we show that secretome genes are preferentially controlled by synergistic M-bM-^@M-^XAND-gateM-bM-^@M-^Y responses to multiple signal inputs, ensuring the effective expression of secreted factors in high density and low mass-transfer environments. Our results support a novel functional hypothesis for the use of multiple signals and, more generally, show that bacteria are capable of combinatorial communication. The two primary signal molecules of P. aeruginosa are the homoserine lactones N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (3-oxo-C12-HSL) and N-butyryl-homoserine lactone (C4-HSL). Effects of the different signal molecules was assessed using a double QS synthase mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 lasI/rhlI grown at 37M-BM-0C in 25 ml LB broth and 250 ml flasks with shaking at 200 r.p.m. in four treatments, each with a replicate: (a) no addition; (b) 3-oxo- C12-HSL; (c) C4-HSL; and (d) both 3-oxo-C12-HSL and C4-HSL.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Prospective data are sparse for active commuting to work and body weight in Asia. We assessed the association of 5-year changes in commuting mode with body mass index (BMI) and the indicators of abdominal obesity in Japanese working adults. METHODS:In this longitudinal study, we studied 29,758 participants (25,808 men and 3950 women) in Japan aged 30 to 64?years at baseline who underwent further health examination 5?years after the baseline examination. Changes in BMI were calculated from objectively measured body height and weight at baseline and follow-up examination. Visceral and subcutaneous fat areas and waist circumference measured by computed tomography scans were used as indicators for abdominal adiposity. Linear regression was applied to estimate the association of changes in commuting mode with the obesity outcomes. RESULTS:Within the 5-year study period, adults who maintained inactive commuting gained weight, and compared with this group, adults who switched to inactive commuting had higher weight gain; conversely, adults who switched to active or public transportation commuting and especially those who maintained active or public transportation commuting experienced less weight gain. Subgroup analysis showed similar tendency across the different transitions of leisure-time exercise or occupational physical activity. For example, among adults who maintained no exercise (n?=?16,087), the adjusted mean (95% confidence intervals) of the BMI change over 5?years in kg/m2 were 0.27 (0.24 to 0.30) for maintained inactive commuting group (reference), 0.34 (0.30 to 0.38) for switching to inactive commuting group (P?=?0.046), 0.20 (0.18 to 0.22) for switching to active commuting or public transportation group (P?=?0.001), and 0.09 (0.06 to 0.13) for maintained active commuting or public transportation group (P?<?0.001). Maintained inactive commuting tended to be associated with larger gain in abdominal adiposity indicators. CONCLUSION:Switching from inactive commuting mode to more physically active commuting mode and maintaining active commuting can promote body weight control among working adults across different levels of occupational or leisure-time physical activity.

Project description:Introduction/purposeSedentary behavior (SB) is common in desk-based work and prolonged periods of SB are associated with negative health outcomes. This study assessed associations between workplace characteristics and setting and movement patterns during working hours.MethodsThis secondary analysis used baseline data from the Reducing Sedentary Behavior to Decrease Blood Pressure (RESET BP) clinical trial which enrolled inactive, desk-based workers with elevated blood pressure (n=271; mean age: 45.3±11.6 years; body mass index (BMI): 30.66±7.1 kg/m2; 59.4% women). Physical and social workplace characteristics were assessed by a study-developed questionnaire and the Office Environment and Sitting Scale (OFFESS). Participants also wore an activPAL activity monitor for 7 days and reported working hours in a diary to measure SB and physical activity (PA) specifically while working. Linear regression was used to analyze cross-sectional associations between workplace characteristics and SB and PA. A stratified analysis was also conducted to assess associations among home-based and in-office desk workers separately. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, BMI, and work wear time.ResultsParticipants spent 77% of working hours in SB. Public vs. private offices, working in-office vs. at home, higher local connectivity, and greater overall connectedness were associated with lower SB and/or greater PA (all p<0.05). Higher frequency of face-to-face interactions, and greater visibility and proximity to co-workers was associated with less SB and more PA (all p<0.05). For example, home-based workers had more total SB (+17.2±8.4 mins/day), more SB bouts ≥30 mins (+39.1±12.8 mins/day), and less steps (695±201 steps/day) than in-office employees. Stratification by office setting revealed differences in associations between SB and PA and workplace characteristics.ConclusionsMore public, open spaces with more social interactions and physical walkways could improve SB and PA patterns during work. Home-based workers had more SB, less PA, and unique associations of these activities with workplace characteristics, suggesting a need for tailored interventions.

Dataset Information

The social and physical workplace environment and commute mode: A natural experimental study.

Publications

The social and physical workplace environment and commute mode: A natural experimental study.

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