PhD: Developing an Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Behaviour in Older Employees Who Work from Home in Desk-Based Occupations
This research is led by Lily Mott as part of her PhD Fellowship. For more information about Lily’s research interests see our PhD Fellowship page.
What are we trying to do?
This work seeks to co-develop an intervention to reduce and interrupt sedentary behaviour in older employees (≥50) who work from home in desk-based occupations.
Why is this important?
Those employed in desk-based occupations sit for large amounts of their working day, often in long uninterrupted bouts, exposing them to the health risks associated with sedentary behaviour (SB).
With more workplaces offering home-working options, it is important to explore how this environment influences SB.
As the number of older workers (≥50) is increasing, it is vital to promote healthy ageing in the workplace and ensure this population are not put at increased risk due to high levels of prolonged occupational sitting.
How are we doing it?
- We are using the Behaviour Change Wheel to design an intervention aiming to interrupt and reduce SB in older employees who work from home in desk-based occupations.
- Qualitative interviews have been conducted to gain a better understanding of the barriers and enablers to interrupting sitting in this population and setting.
- A series of workshops will be hosted with the target population to co-develop a suitable intervention before conducting an acceptability study.
Who are we working with?
A local employer in the Greater Manchester area has been recruited to take part in the work.
Funding:
his PhD studentship, is one of 6 that has been made available through a partnership between The Dunhill Medical Trust, ourselves at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester (ARC-GM), The University of Manchester, and the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Older People and Frailty / Healthy Ageing.
Contact info:
PhD Fellow
Lily Mott