Moving to an “Active” Biophilic Designed Office Workplace: A Pilot Study about the Effects on Sitting Time and Sitting Habits of Office-Based Workers

Birgit Wallmann-Sperlich, Sophie Hoffmann, Anne Salditt, Tanja Bipp and Ingo Froboese
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Birgit Wallmann-Sperlich: Institute for Sports Science, Julius-Maximilian University Würzburg, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
Sophie Hoffmann: Institute for Sports Science, Julius-Maximilian University Würzburg, 97082 Würzburg, Germany
Anne Salditt: Interface Deutschland GmbH, Krefeld, 47803 Krefeld, Germany
Tanja Bipp: Work, Industrial, and Organizational Psychology, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
Ingo Froboese: Institute of Health Promotion and Clinical Movement Science, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, Germany

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: Promising initial insights show that offices designed to permit physical activity (PA) may reduce workplace sitting time. Biophilic approaches are intended to introduce natural surroundings into the workplace, and preliminary data show positive effects on stress reduction and elevated productivity within the workplace. The primary aim of this pilot study was to analyze changes in workplace sitting time and self-reported habit strength concerning uninterrupted sitting and PA during work, when relocating from a traditional office setting to “active” biophilic-designed surroundings. The secondary aim was to assess possible changes in work-associated factors such as satisfaction with the office environment, work engagement, and work performance, among office staff. In a pre-post designed field study, we collected data through an online survey on health behavior at work. Twelve participants completed the survey before (one-month pre-relocation, T 1 ) and twice after the office relocation (three months (T 2 ) and seven months post-relocation (T 3 )). Standing time per day during office hours increased from T 1 to T 3 by about 40 min per day ( p < 0.01). Other outcomes remained unaltered. The results suggest that changing office surroundings to an active-permissive biophilic design increased standing time during working hours. Future larger-scale controlled studies are warranted to investigate the influence of office design on sitting time and work-associated factors during working hours in depth.

Keywords: desk-based; office-workers; standing; online survey; walking; work engagement; habit strength; work performance; office environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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