Physical Activity, Inactivity, and Sedentary Behaviors: Definitions and Implications in Occupational Health

Abstract

Based on the increasing evidence linking excessive sedentary behaviors and adverse health outcomes, public health strategies have been developed and constantly improved to reduce sedentary behaviors and increase physical activity levels at all ages. Although the body of literature in this field has grown, confusion still exists regarding the correct definition for sedentary behaviors. Thus, there is a need to provide a clear definition in order to distinguish sedentary behaviors from physical activity and inactivity. This paper will briefly review the most recent and accepted definitions of these concepts and illustrate their relationships. Nowadays, since most working adults spend a high proportion of their waking hours in increasingly sedentary tasks, there will be a particular focus on the field of occupational health. Finally, simple modifications in the workplace will be suggested in order to decrease sedentary behaviors.

Physical activity levels and sedentary time during school hours of 6th-grade girls in Germany

“…One should consider that travel to school contributes to the daily MVPA level with 10% (Bailey et al 2012), 14% (Smith et al 2016), and 15% in this study sample. Hence, school travel is an opportunity for all pupils to be physically active during the school day, but within daily school life PA levels are negatively influenced by another distinct health factor (Thivel et al 2018;Tremblay et al 2011b).…”

“…In order to understand these low MVPA levels future research should incorporate social and individual factors, such as social support and individual motivational attitudes towards PA. Equivalent to 3-6 METs, MVPA causes rapid breathing and substantial increase in heart rate (Thivel et al 2018); and therefore, after occurrence of thermoregulatory processes, perspiration. This could be a reason for adolescent girls to engage less in exhausting and intensive activities during recess, because they do not want to attend class with wet or dirty clothes afterwards.…”

A Scoping Review of Digital Tools to Reduce Sedentary Behavior or Increase Physical Activity in Knowledge Workers

“…A crucial factor that negatively affects a person's vitality is the lack of physical activity (PA) and high levels of sedentary behavior (SB) throughout the day [1]. Prolonged periods of sedentary behavior, characterized by waking behavior equal to or below 1.5 METs [2], can have a severe negative effect on health [3][4][5]. Sedentary behavior is associated with the development of diseases such as type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, colon and breast cancer, increased morbidity, and premature mortality [3,[5][6][7][8][9][10].…”

Promoting Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Time Among Tertiary Workers: Position Stand From the French National ONAPS

“…In fact, the new message from public health agencies across the globe is "Move more; Sit less." Although further evidence is needed with regard to the best ways to break up sitting time at work-either by introducing activity breaks, providing active workstations, or by office design 6 -the expert panel encourages their promotion and adoption, along with physical activity incentives (such as the availability of exercise stations [bikes for instance], encouragement for active meetings, etc).…”

“…4,5 Moreover, such workplace intervention strategies appear to suffer from high attrition, as well as a lack of proven sustainability. 6,7 Because there is an urgent need to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary time during work time, the French National Conservatory for Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors (ONAPS) recently dedicated its annual congress (January 29-30, 2019 in Vichy, France) to this important public health issue. The congress convened an expert panel comprising scientists, public health specialists, occupational physicians, ergonomists, as well as both workers and their employers to examine strategies for improving workplace health.…”