Does accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary time differ between manual, in-office, hybrid and remote workers?

Abstract

<div><p><strong>Objectives</strong> Studies on accelerometer-measured daily physical activity behaviour, especially among hybrid and remote workers, are scarce. We compared daily occupational and non-occupational physical activity and sedentary time among manual, in-office, hybrid and remote workers. In addition, physical activity behaviour during remote and office workdays among hybrid workers was compared.<br></p></div><div><p><strong>Methods</strong> Daily physical activity behaviour was collected with wrist-worn accelerometers on ≥4 days from 133 Finnish workers (31 years, 61% women). Participants were divided into four groups according to their work modes: manual (n=32), in-office (n=49), hybrid (n=35) and remote workers (n=17). Differences in physical activity and sedentary time during workdays (separately for occupational and non-occupational time) between the groups were examined using generalised linear models. Linear mixed models were used for intra-individual differences among hybrid workers.</p></div><div><p><strong>Results</strong> Workdays’ occupational physical activity and sedentary time differed between the work mode groups (p<0.0001); the manual workers accumulated the highest occupational physical activity, while both hybrid and remote workers accumulated the highest occupational sedentary time. No differences in non-occupational behaviours were observed. Among hybrid workers, occupational sedentary time tended to be higher (26 min, 95% CI −2 to 53) during remote versus office workdays, but non-occupational behaviours were similar.</p></div><div><p><strong>Conclusions</strong> Remote work is associated with the lowest physical activity and the highest sedentary time compared with other work modes. Strategies to promote physical activity during remote workdays may be needed.</p></div>