Does an ‘Activity-Permissive’ Workplace Change Office Workers’ Sitting and Activity Time?

Abstract

IntroductionTo describe changes in workplace physical activity, and health-, and work-related outcomes, in workers who transitioned from a conventional to an ‘activity-permissive’ workplace.MethodsA natural pre-post experiment conducted in Vancouver, Canada in 2011. A convenience sample of office-based workers (n=24, 75% women, mean [SD] age = 34.5 [8.1] years) were examined four months following relocation from a conventional workplace (pre) to a newly-constructed, purpose-built, movement-oriented physical environment (post). Workplace activity- (activPAL3-derived stepping, standing, and sitting time), health- (body composition and fasting cardio-metabolic blood profile), and work- (performance; job satisfaction) related outcomes were measured pre- and post-move and compared using paired t-tests.ResultsPre-move, on average (mean [SD]) the majority of the day was spent sitting (364 [43.0] mins/8-hr workday), followed by standing (78.2 [32.1] mins/8-hr workday) and stepping (37.7 [15.6] mins/8-hr workday). The transition to the ‘activity-permissive’ workplace resulted in a significant increase in standing time (+18.5, 95% CI: 1.8, 35.2 mins/8-hr workday), likely driven by reduced sitting time (-19.7, 95% CI: -42.1, 2.8 mins/8-hr workday) rather than increased stepping time (+1.2, 95% CI: -6.2, 8.5 mins/8-hr workday). There were no statistically significant differences observed in health- or work-related outcomes.DiscussionThis novel, opportunistic study demonstrated that the broader workplace physical environment can beneficially impact on standing time in office workers. The long-term health and work-related benefits, and the influence of individual, organizational, and social factors on this change, requires further evaluation.

The sedentary office: an expert statement on the growing case for change towards better health and productivity

“…There are, however, strong indications that simply changing the office environment might not be enough to invoke long-term change in behaviour. Strategies and programmes for implementing change will need careful organisational and behavioural support and public education to prevent current interests in active office environments from simply being a passing fad 53 57 58. Similar to the risks of prolonged, static, seated positions, so too should prolonged, static, standing postures be avoided;59 movement does need to be checked and corrected on a regular basis especially in the presence of any musculoskeletal sensations 60.…”

Interventions to reduce sedentary behavior and increase physical activity during productive work: a systematic review

“…This conclusion is in line with a recent review and metaanalysis of 38 field and laboratory studies (30), showing that activity permissive workstations (mostly sit-stand workstations) led to a substantial reduction in sedentary time, with a pooled intervention effect of -77 minutes in an 8-hour workday. The evidence of an effect of alternative workstations on overall PA was conflicting, but subgroup analyses showed moderate evidence for a positive effect of treadmill workstations on overall PA; whereas the two studies using sit-stand workstations (47,53) did not find an effect on overall PA (table E). This adds to the conclusion of Tudor-Locke et al (29) that treadmill (and pedal) desks have the greatest potential to influence energy expenditure, with an effect that does not seem to be limited to working hours.…”

“…Furthermore, we point to the need to understand effects on SB and PA of interventions that lie outside the three categories we found in the present literature. Examples are interventions such as job rotation and enrichment that redistribute tasks between workers or introduce new tasks in the job (85, 86) and interventions rebuilding the workspace, such as designing offices to promote PA (47,87,88) and furnishing offices with equipment facilitating standing and PA (89). In both cases, effects on SB and/or PA are likely.…”

Physical Activity, Exercise, Sedentary Behavior and Health

“…Occupation makes a difference in time spent sitting at work with offi ce workers (managers, clerks, and scientifi c and artistic professions) shown to sit signifi cantly longer than manual workers (agricultural, service, trade, industrial, transportation, and commercial) at work (Jans et al 2007 ). A natural experiment where participants moved from a conventional "closed-design" offi ce building to a modern building fostering movement (height-adjustable workstations for some, standing-option meeting rooms and common areas, centralized supplies/printing, and vertically integrated offi ce layout) found that sitting time (6 h/day before the move) was reduced by 20 min after the move (Gorman et al 2013 ). Type of work (deskbound or not) is obviously a major determinant of how long people sit in their workplace (Thorp et al 2012 ;van Uffelen et al 2012 ).…”