Abstract
Sedentary behaviour within buildings has become a major public health issue particularly now that a large number of people are engaged in one form of office work or the other. In the midst of this, there is a paucity of research on how the design of office spaces can help discourage sedentary behaviour and reduce the health risks associated with it among office workers, especially in the developing countries. This study investigated sedentary behaviour among office workers in Enugu, Nigeria, with a view to improving understanding of the architectural design strategies for checking it. The data were sourced from a survey of 106 office workers in the study area and analysed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Duncan multiple comparison test. The findings show that the predominant office layouts identified were personalized and co-working layouts with workers spending around 93% of the total time at work sitting. Variations were observed in the level of physical activity of workers in the different office layouts with those in personal office layouts manifesting sedentary behaviour more than those in co-working and open-plan office layouts. The findings are incisive in noting that to discourage sedentary behaviour in offices and reduce the exposure of workers to sedentary related health risks, architects and engineers should pay adequate attention to co-working and open plan office layouts, centralised and shared office resources and the use of lobbies and corridors in linking main office spaces to ancillary facilities.
Highlights
Before now, discussions on indoor environmental quality in office buildings had focused mainly on ventilation and comfort factors
It was against this background that this research investigated sedentary behaviour among workers in selected office buildings in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria, with a view to improving understanding of the architectural design and planning interventions that can encourage workers to engage more in physical activity in the course of their daily work
Sedentary behaviour among workers in selected office buildings in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria, was investigated with a view to improving understanding of the architectural design and planning interventions that can encourage workers to get involved in physical activity such as walking and standing in the course of their daily work
Summary
Discussions on indoor environmental quality in office buildings had focused mainly on ventilation and comfort factors. This study is based on the premise that differences in socio-economic and environmental variables between Nigeria and other countries can be sources of variations in building design and planning interventions for sedentary behaviour in office environment; and the Nigerian dimension to this needs to be thoroughly investigated It was against this background that this research investigated sedentary behaviour among workers in selected office buildings in Enugu metropolis, Nigeria, with a view to improving understanding of the architectural design and planning interventions that can encourage workers to engage more in physical activity in the course of their daily work. It is expected that the findings of this research will inform building design professionals of some key aspects that require strengthening in the design and planning of office buildings that discourage sedentary behaviour and at the same time enhance the productivity and health of the working population
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