Perceived influences on reducing prolonged sitting in police staff: a qualitative investigation using the Theoretical Domains Framework and COM-B model

Background Workplace interventions have shown promise for reducing sitting in office workers. Police office staff remain an understudied population group that work within a disciplined organisation with distinctive work tasks around public safety, potentially affecting their capability, opportunity, and motivation to change sitting behaviour. This study aimed to assess the perceived influences on reducing workplace sitting in non-operational, desk-based police staff in order to derive theoretical determinants for behaviour change. Methods Ten police staff from a single police force in Bedfordshire, England [eight female; 39.5 ± 11.5 years] took part in face-to-face semi-structured interviews lasting 46 ± 11 min on average. Thematic analysis identified key themes which were then mapped onto the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and linked to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. Results Seven themes were identified: ‘Work tasks are seated’, ‘Social norm is to sit’, ‘Belief in ability to regulate behaviour’, ‘Knowledge of health risks’, ‘Organisational support’, ‘Impact on productivity’, and ‘Perceived autonomy for sitting reduction’. Conclusions Awareness of behaviour and health impacts (Capability), social and physical support to sit less (Opportunity), and habit formation techniques (Motivation) are recommended considerations in sitting reduction workplace interventions for police staff.

Effect of various monochromatic light-emitting diode colours on the behaviour and welfare of broiler chickens

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different monochromatic light-emitting diode colours on the behaviour and welfare of broiler chicks. A total of 750 one-day-old chicks were used and lighting was set up as follows: pure blue (PB, 440–450 nm), bright blue (460–470 nm), sky blue (480–490 nm), greenish blue (500–510 nm), and green (530–540), while fluorescent white (400–700 nm) was used as a control. Birds were placed into 30 independent light proof pens and each light treatment was replicated five times with 25 birds in each pen. Video was recorded and behaviour was evaluated twice per day and observed five consecutive days in a week. Broiler welfare was evaluated using the characteristics of gait score, tibia dyschondroplasia, tonic immobility duration, and heterophil:lymphocyte ratio. In results, sitting, walking, and ground pecking behaviour were influenced by the light colour from 0 to 7 d. Extending the rearing period from 8 to 21 d resulted in increased sitting behaviour and decreased walking and pecking behaviour in chicks in the PB treatment (P < 0.05). When the growth period was extended further (22–42 d), sitting behaviour increased when chicks were exposed to PB light (P < 0.05). The effect of light colour did not significantly influence welfare of broiler chicks. Thus, the present results suggest that PB light colour decreased broiler chickens movement and thus increased duration of sitting behaviour. These results would be helpful to choose light colour for broiler producers.

Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Breaking Up Sitting Time among Desk-Based Office Workers: A Qualitative Investigation Using the TDF and COM-B

High amounts of sedentary behaviour, such as sitting, can lead to adverse health consequences. Interventions to break up prolonged sitting in the workplace have used active workstations, although few studies have used behaviour change theory. This study aimed to combine the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation to Behaviour system (COM-B) to investigate perceived barriers and facilitators to breaking up sitting in desk-based office workers. Semi-structured interviews with 25 desk-based employees investigated barriers and facilitators to breaking up sitting in the workplace. Seven core inductive themes were identified: ‘Knowledge-deficit sitting behaviour’, ‘Willingness to change’, ‘Tied to the desk’, ‘Organisational support and interpersonal influences’, ‘Competing motivations’, ‘Emotional influences’, and ‘Inadequate cognitive resources for action’. These themes were then deductively mapped to 11 of the 14 TDF domains and five of the six COM-B constructs. Participants believed that high amounts of sitting had adverse consequences but lacked knowledge regarding recommendations and were at times unmotivated to change. Physical and social opportunities were identified as key influences, including organisational support and height-adjustable desks. Future research should identify intervention functions, policy categories and behaviour change techniques to inform tailored interventions to change sitting behaviour of office workers.