An Objective Index of Office Workers' Well-Being Based on HRV-Derived Tone and Entropy: A 4-Week Observational Study.

Abstract

Well-being is increasingly recognized as vital for mental health, yet its relationship to heart rate variability (HRV)-particularly tone and entropy-remains unclear. We proposed using HRV tone-entropy distance to quantify worker well-being in real-world settings. Pulse waves were measured using PC cameras in the workplace. Well-being was assessed using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and the Flourishing Scale (FS). Correlations between these scores and tone-entropy distance were examined. Among 149 participants, significant, though small, correlations were observed between tone-entropy distance and SWLS and FS scores (r = -0.25, -0.30, respectively). A trend-level correlation was observed for PANAS positive and negative emotion. Some conventional HRV distances also showed significant correlations, but these were numerically smaller. Tone-entropy distance may serve as a quantitative index of well-being.