The Role of Executive Function in the Effectiveness of Multi-Component Interventions Targeting Physical Activity Behavior in Office Workers

Rui Wang, Victoria Blom, Carla F. J. Nooijen, Lena V. Kallings, Örjan Ekblom and Maria M. Ekblom
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Rui Wang: Department of Physical Activity and Health, the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
Victoria Blom: Department of Physical Activity and Health, the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
Carla F. J. Nooijen: Department of Physical Activity and Health, the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
Lena V. Kallings: Department of Physical Activity and Health, the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
Örjan Ekblom: Department of Physical Activity and Health, the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden
Maria M. Ekblom: Department of Physical Activity and Health, the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, GIH, 11433 Stockholm, Sweden

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: A knowledge gap remains in understanding how to improve the intervention effectiveness in office workers targeting physically active (PA) behavior. We aim to identify the modifying effect of executive function (EF) on the intervention effectiveness targeting PA-behaviors, and to verify whether the observed effect varies by Job Demand Control (JDC) categories. This workplace-based intervention study included 245 participants who were randomized into a control group and two intervention arms—promoting physical activity (iPA) group or reducing sedentary behavior (iSED) group. The interventions were conducted through counselling-based cognitive behavioral therapy and team activities over 6 months. PA-behaviors were measured by an accelerometer. EF was assessed by the Trail Making Test-B, Stroop, and n-back test. The JDC categories were measured by the demand control questionnaire. Higher EF level at baseline was significantly associated with the intervention effect on increased sleep time (β-coefficient: 3.33, p = 0.003) and decreased sedentary time (−2.76, p = 0.049) in the iSED-group. Participants with active jobs (high job demands, high control) presented significantly increased light-intensity PA in the iSED-group in comparison to the control group. Among participants with a high level of EF and active jobs, relative to the control group, the iPA-group showed a substantial increase in light-intensity PA (1.58, p = 0.036) and the iSED-group showed a tendency of reducing sedentary behavior (−5.35, p = 0.054). The findings suggest that office workers with a high EF and active jobs may benefit most from an intervention study targeting PA-behaviors.

Keywords: physical activity; sedentary behavior; executive function; job control; job demands; active jobs; self-regulation; health promotion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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