Participatory Approaches in the Context of Research IntoWorkplace Health Promotion to Improve Physical Activity Levelsand Reduce Sedentary Behavior Among Office-Based Workers:Scoping Review

Background: Participatory research (PR) involves engaging in cocreation with end users and relevant stakeholders throughoutthe research process, aiming to distribute power equitably between the end users and research team. Engagement and adherencein previous workplace health promotion (WHP) studies have been shown to be lacking. By implementing a PR approach, theinsights of end users and stakeholders are sought in the co-design of feasible and acceptable intervention strategies, therebyincreasing the relevance of the research.Objective: This scoping review aims to explore, identify, and map PR techniques and their impact when used in office-basedWHP interventions designed to improve physical activity (PA) or reduce sedentary behavior (SB).Methods: The reporting of this scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviewsand Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews). A systematic literature search of 5 electronic databases-Web of Science,PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and OpenGrey-was conducted, searching from January 1, 1995, to February 8, 2023. In total,2 independent reviewers first screened the retrieved articles by title and abstract, and then assessed the full texts based on theinclusion and exclusion criteria. The search strategy and eligibility criteria were developed and guided by an a priori population(office-based working adults), intervention (a PA WHP intervention that took a PR approach), comparison (no comparisonrequired), and outcome (PA or SB) framework. Data were charted and discussed via a narrative synthesis, and a thematic analysiswas conducted. The included studies were evaluated regarding the degree of end user engagement throughout the research processand power shared by the researchers, using Arnstein's ladder of citizen participation.Results: The search retrieved 376 records, of which 8 (2.1%) met the inclusion criteria. Four key strategies were identified: (1)end user focus groups, (2) management involvement, (3) researcher facilitators, and (4) workplace champions. The degree ofengagement and power shared was relatively low, with 25% (2/8) of the studies determined to be nonparticipation studies, 25%(2/8) determined to be tokenistic, and 50% (4/8) determined to provide citizen power.Conclusions: This review provides a foundation of evidence on the current practices when taking a PR approach, highlightingthat previous office-based PA WHP studies have been largely tokenistic or nonparticipative, and identified that the end user is only engaged with in the conception and implementation of the WHP studies. However, a positive improvement in PA andreduction in SB were observed in the included studies, which were largely attributed to implementing a PR approach and includingthe end user in the design of the WHP intervention. Future studies should aim to collaborate with workplaces, building capacityand empowering the workforce by providing citizen control and letting the end users "own" the research for a sustainable WHPintervention