Systems thinking is a new area of knowledge that considers and integrates all the elements that must be considered to address complex public health problems, such as non-communicable disease prevention policy. Any intervention aimed at successfully preventing risk factors such as those caused by insufficient physical activity must be based on specific theories and scientific evidence and develop through active involvement in meaningful actions and interactions that consider the cultural and social context. For these reasons, the present study's structure is based on social theories contextualized in the sedentary working environment of desk workers to introduce a new company vision. In this vision, the working environment, where employees spend much time, is intended not only as a place for productivity but also a care and an educational environment to prevent a sedentary lifestyle. The aim of this study is to check with scientific and experimental experience how the traditional paradigm, stating that "physical exercise intended as an active break out of context is opposed to useful and effortful work and represents a waste of time", is no longer valid. The main idea is to incorporate physical exercise into the usual workflow to help employees increase their motivation to exercise and the amount of physical activity they do daily, with the aim of improving their health, physical literacy, and working wellness. Following the action research's vision, the present research project has been demonstrated to modify the local companies' welfare policies in which we proposed the intervention. Furthermore, the research structure following the design-based research paradigms has constituted an efficient road map to assess the effectiveness of the results of the proposed interventions. Finally, following the rationale of the system thinking approach, the research analyzed a wide range of variables (and their relationships) that can influence the analyzed reality to promote healthy lifestyles and long-term movement culture.
UP150 PROACTIVE OFFICE: THE OFFICE THAT EDUCATES ON EMPLOYEE CARE AND WELL-BEING THROUGH PHYSICAL EXERCISE FOR HEALTH
SIGNORINI, GABRIELE
2025
Abstract
Systems thinking is a new area of knowledge that considers and integrates all the elements that must be considered to address complex public health problems, such as non-communicable disease prevention policy. Any intervention aimed at successfully preventing risk factors such as those caused by insufficient physical activity must be based on specific theories and scientific evidence and develop through active involvement in meaningful actions and interactions that consider the cultural and social context. For these reasons, the present study's structure is based on social theories contextualized in the sedentary working environment of desk workers to introduce a new company vision. In this vision, the working environment, where employees spend much time, is intended not only as a place for productivity but also a care and an educational environment to prevent a sedentary lifestyle. The aim of this study is to check with scientific and experimental experience how the traditional paradigm, stating that "physical exercise intended as an active break out of context is opposed to useful and effortful work and represents a waste of time", is no longer valid. The main idea is to incorporate physical exercise into the usual workflow to help employees increase their motivation to exercise and the amount of physical activity they do daily, with the aim of improving their health, physical literacy, and working wellness. Following the action research's vision, the present research project has been demonstrated to modify the local companies' welfare policies in which we proposed the intervention. Furthermore, the research structure following the design-based research paradigms has constituted an efficient road map to assess the effectiveness of the results of the proposed interventions. Finally, following the rationale of the system thinking approach, the research analyzed a wide range of variables (and their relationships) that can influence the analyzed reality to promote healthy lifestyles and long-term movement culture.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14242/197787
URN:NBN:IT:UNIMI-197787