Abstract
The constant increase in work pressure and the penetration of labor-saving technologies have significantly reduced physical activity in office-based work routines, threatening employees’ physical and mental well-being. Encouraging physical exercises at the office seems a potential solution. However, while there is a wealth of research into occupational health and workplace exercise promotion, little is known about which factors can influence the engagement of physical exercises in the office context. It is crucial to understand these determinants, in order to support the design of office exercise promoting intervention. This study explored the determinants of office workers’ exercise behavior by proposing and developing the Office Exercise Behavior Determinants (OEBD) scale based on existing behavioral and environmental research. The OEBD scale was assessed through an online questionnaire study involving 479 office workers. The results indicated that four factors (Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, Social Environment, and Work Environment) contribute to office workers’ exercise behavior. Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis of our obtained data provided evidence for the internal validity of the OEBD scale. Thereby, this research can support increased office exercise with valid measurements for behavioral determinants.
Highlights
Since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, the invention of labor-saving equipment has led to a continuous decrease in physical exercise [1,2]
Based on the review of related work, we developed a scale for measuring office exercise behavior determinants, which contained 18 potential determinants related to individual and socioenvironmental characteristics to determine the involvement of physical exercise at the office
The sample was representative of office workers who have relatively long working hours in an office-based environment, across gender, working industry, occupation role, prior exercise experience, and physical activity level
Summary
Since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, the invention of labor-saving equipment has led to a continuous decrease in physical exercise [1,2]. The penetration of information communication technologies and the popularization of internet-based services has diminished the necessity of physical movement (e.g., business travel, or a walk to a colleague’s office) and made it possible for people to complete most of their work while seated [3]. This operating mode improved the efficiency of work, and substantially reduced physical exercise and increased sedentary behaviors [1,4]. Low levels of physical activity are increasingly recognized as important contributors to a variety of health problems, including heart disease, hypertension, colorectal cancer, obesity, and
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