Development and implementation of a logic model: Occupational stress, physical activity, and sedentary behavior in the workplace.

Background: An increasing level of occupational stress is a major problem in the workplace that requires innovative approaches and strategies. An understudied research area pertains to the effects that physical activity performed during the workday have on occupational stress.

Objective: To determine if and how an intervention that increases physical activity and reduces sedentary behavior affects workplace stress. The population of interest are employees at a large university medical center including supportive staff, healthcare professionals, physicians, and faculty members; the study design is longitudinal; the approach is the implementation of an innovative workplace program (i.e., the Booster Break).

Methods: We present a logic model promoting physical activity and reducing sitting time during the workday as a feasible and practical strategy to cope with occupational stress.

Results: The logic model approach emphasizes that funding, partnerships, and incentives are inputs to implementing program activities such as Booster Break sessions, weekly meetings, social support, and personal self-monitoring. Short-term outcomes were categorized as psychosocial, goal setting, organizational, and social; intermediate outcomes were behavioral and psychosocial; and long-term outcomes were health status and physiological status.

Conclusions: This study is the first known effort to outline a comprehensive intervention based on changing physical activity and sedentary behavior during the workday and the concomitant effects on occupational stress. The findings of this study can be used to develop and implement interventions at workplaces to target increases in physical activity, decreases in sedentary time, and improvements in overall employee health.