Search results

Explores what people contemplating exercise (exercise contemplators) described, using the five processes of change that are considered by those who adhere to the Transtheoretical Model of Change, as most important for changing exercise behaviour. Also examines four delay tactics. Analysis of structured interviews with eight exercise contemplators identified three main findings, which show that the existing conceptualisations of the processes of change lack relevance to everyday accounts of trying to become more active. Further, in practice the processes were not readily differentiated by people, although process questionnaires require people to make these differentiations. Individuals reflected their optimism for change using two dimensions. How often an individual process was used seemed less important than the personal significance of experiences or events, especially the negative actions of significant others. The findings may help to explain why “process of change” questionnaires fail to predict change for exercise. The complex mix of the ways that processes and delay tactics are used, and how they are described, illustrates how challenging it may be for these people to change without help. These issues also affect counsellors who wish to develop stage‐matched counselling based on these elements of change.

Work‐home conflict of women in a multinational computer organisation was examined in two phases using quantitative and qualitative methods. In Phase 1 a questionnaire was sent to all directly employed females (n = 204), who were also invited to participate in Phase 2, a one‐hour on‐site focus group. A total of 31 women contributed to four focus groups. In line with previous research, Phase 1 identified the dominant construct to be work interfering with home. Almost one in ten women scored in the highest quartile of possible scores (24 to 30) for work‐to‐home conflict. In Phase 2, issues such as lack of time and lack of social support, family, careers and guilt were discussed in depth. Central to the development of conflict was commitment to both domains. The different meanings women attached to “work” and “home” added to the complexity of these issues. In contrast with past studies, part‐time working status was found to contribute to conflict and intensified the feelings of “juggling”, as did being single. Poor physical and psychological health was a common outcome. A minority of participants experienced positive work‐home “spill‐over”. Witnessing that other women accepted and acknowledged the negative effects of the stressors was thought to be a first step to resolving them. The dual approach adopted facilitated a greater understanding of the concept of work‐home conflict that health professionals may use both to develop and to deliver effective interventions.

While work‐home conflict has well‐established negative outcomes, few studies explore how this might be resolved. This study explored the delivery and outcomes of a three‐session workplace intervention delivered by a non‐specialist counsellor to women with high work‐home conflict, using solution‐focused therapy (SFT). Transcripts from the counselling sessions provided the key data for the study. Participants had unique combinations of conflict, and unique levels of self‐assessed success in developing and sticking to their solutions. These perspectives are spillover (home or work affect each other), segmenting (demands are ring‐fenced in one domain) and compensation (demands in one domain are balanced with contributions to the other). Although the specific solutions generated may not be new to “outsiders”, they were to these women, and were unlikely to have been undertaken without the intervention.

Awareness of potential health impact and variations in key risk factors for chronic disease are important considerations in multi‐site, workplace physical activity interventions. This study seeks to examine associations and site variations between workday step counts, sitting times, waist circumference and blood pressure in three universities.

Participants were white‐collar, university employees (172 women and 44 men; aged 41.0±10.3 years) from Barcelona, Spain (n=81), Brisbane, Australia (n=71) and Leeds, UK (n=64). Workday step counts and sitting times (five days) and waist circumference and blood pressure were assessed and compared against health‐related thresholds. Step counts were classified into tertiles and differences in sitting time, waist circumference and blood pressure were compared across tertiles using ANOVA, as were site variations in key variables.

Daily step counts were inversely associated with sitting times (p<0.05), women's waist circumference (p<0.05) and systolic (p<0.01) and diastolic (p<0.05) blood pressure. Activity rates – relative to the public health criterion of 10,000 daily steps – were lower in Brisbane (16 per cent) and Leeds (15 per cent), compared with Barcelona (47 per cent). Barcelona employees also sat less (p<0.001), had lower men's and women's waist circumference (p<0.01) and lower women's diastolic blood pressure (p<0.001).

The small number of male participants precluded meaningful analyses for men.

The findings evidence the health benefits of workplace walking in the samples and highlight the need to account for variations in multi‐site, multi‐national interventions.

The workplace offers an ideal setting for facilitating physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviours. Understanding employees’ current health behaviours is required to inform appropriate, tailored, health promotion interventions. The purpose of this paper is to compare the physical activity and sedentary behaviours over 12 months of employees within and across five UK organisations. The paper also explores the association of these health behaviours with objective and self-reported health outcomes; and investigates the association between physical activity and sedentary behaviours.

Self-reported physical activity and sedentary behaviours were recorded at four time points (baseline, three, six, 12 months). BMI, per cent body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure and resting heart rate were collected in health checks (baseline, 12 months). Well-being and health were collected via questionnaire.

Low physical activity and high sedentariness were evident. Sitting levels varied by occupational role and organisation. More activity was associated with improved health outcomes; no association was evident for sedentary behaviour. No direct effects of occupational role or organisation on health outcomes emerged after accounting for physical activity/sedentary behaviours. Physical activity and sedentary levels were weakly associated.

The low activity levels are of particular concern as linked to health outcomes for this sample. The weak association between behaviours suggests worksite interventions should target both behaviours.

This study provides insight into both the physical activity and sedentary behaviours of employees of large UK employers across different occupational sectors over 12 months; importantly it is informed by the most recent guidance for these health behaviours.