A systematic review of workplace health promotion interventions for increasing physical activity

• Published in: British journal of health psychology Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 149 - 180
• Main Authors: Malik, Sumaira H., Blake, Holly, Suggs, L. Suzanne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2014; British Psychological Society; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Clinical trials; Counseling; Efficacy; Exercise; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health initiatives; Health promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Health status; Humans; Illness and personality; Intervention; Interventions; Life Style; Lifestyles; Miscellaneous; Motor Activity; Occupational Health Services - methods; Occupational psychology; Personality, behavior and health; Physical activity; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Quasi-experimental methods; Randomized controlled trials; Systematic review; Time use; Work site programmes; Workplaces; Social environment; Physical exercise; Human; Work place; Employee; Health promotion; Review; Public health; International
• ISSN: 1359-107X; 2044-8287; 2044-8287
• DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12052

Purpose The benefits of an active lifestyle are widely documented, yet studies show that only a small proportion of adults engage in sufficient levels of physical activity. The workplace presents an ideal avenue for delivering initiatives to promote physical activity, overcoming commonly cited barriers such as a ‘lack of time’ and providing access to a large intersection of society. The purpose of this study was to (1) explore the types of interventions workplaces implement to promote physical activity among staff, (2) describe the characteristics of those interventions, (3) understand whether these interventions positively impact on activity levels, and (4) assess the methodological quality of studies. Methods A systematic review of workplace physical activity interventions published up to April 2011 was conducted to identify types of interventions and their outcomes. Results Of the 58 studies included, the majority utilized health promotion initiatives. There were six physical activity/exercise interventions, 13 counselling/support interventions, and 39 health promotion messages/information interventions. Thirty‐two of these studies showed a statistically significant increase in a measure of physical activity against a control group at follow‐up. Conclusions While the studies included in this review show some evidence that workplace physical activity interventions can be efficacious, overall the results are inconclusive. Despite the proliferation of research in this area, there is still a need for more well‐designed studies to fully determine the effectiveness of workplace interventions for increasing physical activity and to identify the types of interventions that show the most promise. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Despite the recognized health benefits of regular physical activity, only a small proportion of adults engage in sufficient levels of physical activity. The workplace presents an ideal avenue for the delivery of initiatives to promote physical activity. Previous reviews have concluded that the efficacy of workplace physical activity interventions is unclear and that many published studies are of poor methodological quality. What does this study add? This systematic review includes more randomized controlled trials and quasi‐experimental studies than previously published reviews of workplace physical activity interventions. While the studies included in this review do show some evidence that workplace physical activity interventions can be efficacious, overall the results are inconclusive. This review highlights that there is still a need for further well‐designed studies to be carried out in order to evaluate the effectiveness of workplace interventions for increasing physical activity and identify the types of interventions that show the most promise.