The Relationship Between Working From Home and Physical Behavior: A Systematic Review.

Background: Empirical evidence shows that physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep influence human health. In light of the current shift toward new work environments (eg, the home environment) and the interplay between the environment and human health behavior, this systematic review synthesizes evidence on the relationship between working from home and physical behavior (ie, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep).

Methods: A systematic electronic search was conducted without date restriction until April 2023 in the 3 databases Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened independently by 2 reviewers. An effect direction plot was created to synthesize the results of the included studies. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool.

Results: In total, 15 studies that examined the relationship between working from home and physical behavior were identified with most studies focusing solely on the relationship between working from home and one aspect of physical behavior (either physical activity, sedentary behavior, or sleep). Results of the effect direction plot suggest convincing evidence for a negative relationship between working from home and physical activity, no evidence for a relationship between working from home and sedentary behavior, and possible evidence for a positive relationship between working from home and sleep. An overall low quality of studies investigating the relationship between working from home and physical behavior was revealed.

Conclusions: The present review highlights several methodological issues within this emerging field of research. Future research should focus on stronger study designs (eg, longitudinal study designs) that integrate the reliable and valid assessment of all dimensions of physical behavior, optimally using device-based measures (eg, accelerometers), to account for their co-dependency across the 24-hour cycle when working from home.