Active Design: Architectural Interventions for Improving Occupational Health Through Reducing Sedentary Behavior - A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objectives To systematically review architects' literature concerning stair promoting design interventions for reducing sedentary behavior and improving occupational health. Data Sources English language, manuscripts published between 2000 and 2022 in Google scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, CINAHL, and ERIC. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria The criteria for inclusion in this review include; Presence of two words from the searching term in the title, a study conducted by an architect (or at least one architect author), English language, published after 2000, investigate built environment and design features that influence stair use in the building. Data Extraction The data extraction process included; Author (year), country, study design, type of buildings, the population of the study, duration of the study, measured variables (dependent and independent), measurement tool, analysis and outcomes. Data Synthesis Extracted data were synthesized in a tabular format and analytical figures with narratives summary. Result Nine features of the built environment that affect stair use determined from the literature; safety, motivations, appeal and comfort, and legibility were the most common features in the studies, followed by connectivity, building codes, and elevator programming. The good quality of mentioned features positively affects stair use level and vice versa. However, the review also reports a shortage of architects in both practice and research concerning active stair design. Conclusion Stair use is of great importance in increasing physical activity and improving occupational health in the workplace. Architects and designers should pay special attention to the design of staircases and encourage their everyday use by considering the largest number of features that encourage stair use.

Active workplace – Association between workplace layout and physical activity among employees: A cross-sectional study

“…The result of the architectural plan analysis reveals two layout typologies linear and radial each of two different shapes. Two of the selected governmental office buildings are categorized as a linear layout with (I and L shapes) and the other two buildings are categorized as a radial layout with (X and Z shapes) as illustrated in Table (2).…”

“…Mean values, correlation coefficients, and P-values were checked to state the relationship between variables. Figure (2) illustrates the analytical summary of the structure of the research methodology and analysis conducted in this study.…”

“…Many people in modern societies have a daily energy that is just 1.5 times their resting metabolic rate, which is indicative of a sedentary lifestyle [1]. Work has shifted from physically active performance-based work to sedentary knowledge-based work over the past several years, with occupational activity contributing less to people's overall physical activity [2]. Office workers are the population "at risk" due to lack of physical activity and excessive sitting time.…”

“…The active design concept, a multidisciplinary design approach that aims to design and adapt living and working spaces to encourage activity in everyday lives, has recently been introduced in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands, making the active lifestyle an easy choice [2]. The concept of "active design" merges architectural and design concepts to promote physical exercise and reduce sedentary behavior.…”

The Importance of Research on Occupational Sedentary Behaviour and Activity Right Now

“…Many successful interventions have addressed multiple levels of influence on behaviours, including at social, ecological, individual, environmental, and policy levels [ 9 , 10 ]. For example, perceptions of manager and colleague support for activity have been associated with reductions in workplace sitting time [ 11 ], and environmental changes such as installing sit–stand desks and active building design have demonstrated benefits for sitting reduction and increased movement [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Despite this evidence, workplaces still vary widely in their activity-supportive characteristics, with a study in 230 organisations showing that nearly all had room for improvement [ 15 ].…”