Office workers’ experiences of attempts to reduce sitting-time: an exploratory, mixed-methods uncontrolled intervention pilot study

Dewitt, Stephen; Hall, Jennifer; Smith, Lee; Buckley, John; Biddle, Stuart J. H.; Mansfield, Louise; Gardner, Benjamin

doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7196-0

Cited by 38 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…People often express surprise upon realizing their sitting time [39], suggesting they do not consciously attend to it. Raising awareness, by for example objectively monitoring and providing retrospective feedback on time spent sitting, can motivate people to reduce their sitting time [40–42]. Interventions might also reduce sitting indirectly, by targeting actions that incur sitting.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is sitting invisible? Exploring how people mentally represent sitting

Gardner

Flint

Rebar

et al. 2019

Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

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BackgroundGrowing evidence suggests that prolonged uninterrupted sitting can be detrimental to health. Much sedentary behaviour research is reliant on self-reports of sitting time, and sitting-reduction interventions often focus on reducing motivation to sit. These approaches assume that people are consciously aware of their sitting time. Drawing on Action Identification Theory, this paper argues that people rarely identify the act of sitting as ‘sitting’ per se, and instead view it as an incidental component of more meaningful and purposeful typically-seated activities.MethodsStudies 1 and 2 explored whether people mentioned sitting in written descriptions of actions. Studies 3–5 compared preferences for labelling a typically desk-based activity as ‘sitting’ versus alternative action identities. Studies 6 and 7 used card-sort tasks to indirectly assess the prioritisation of ‘sitting’ relative to other action descriptions when identifying similar actions.ResultsParticipants rarely spontaneously mentioned sitting when describing actions (Studies 1–2), and when assigning action labels to a seated activity, tended to offer descriptions based on higher-order goals and consequences of action, rather than sitting or other procedural elements (Studies 3–5). Participants primarily identified similarities in actions based not on sitting, but on activities performed while seated (e.g. reading; Studies 6–7).Conclusion‘Sitting’ is a less accessible cognitive representation of seated activities than are representations based on the purpose and implications of seated action. Findings suggest that self-report measures should focus on time spent in seated activities, rather than attempting to measure sitting time via direct recall. From an intervention perspective, findings speak to the importance of targeting behaviours that entail sitting, and of raising awareness of sitting as a potential precursor to attempting to reduce sitting time.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is sitting invisible? Exploring how people mentally represent sitting

Gardner

Flint

Rebar

et al. 2019

Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

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“…Users indicated that they preferred to use the standing workstation when completing work tasks which did not require high levels of concentration, such as sending emails. Specific work tasks associated with standing have also been indicated in other studies [ 22 , 25 , 40 ]. Moreover, a recent study found that people did not identify “sitting” as an activity in and of itself, but rather thought of sitting in relation to the task they performed (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…Users suggested that an introductory phase could be helpful for non-users to increase the use of the standing option. Still, long periods of absence from work could trigger relapse as indicated elsewhere [ 40 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The user and non-user perspective: Experiences of office workers with long-term access to sit-stand workstations

et al. 2020

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Objective Sit-stand workstations have been shown to be effective in reducing sitting time in office workers. The aim of this study was to explore reasons for use and non-use of sit-stand workstations and strategies to decrease sitting and increase physical activity in the workplace from perspectives of users and non-users, as well as from managers and ergo-coaches. Methods Six group interviews with employees who have had access to sit-stand workstations for several years were conducted in a large semi-governmental organisation in the Netherlands. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Open coding was conducted by three researchers and codes and themes were discussed within the research team. Results Thematic analysis resulted in two major themes: 1) Reasons for use and non-use and 2) Strategies to increase standing and physical activity in the workplace. Shared and distinct reasons for use and non-use were identified between users and non-users of the sit-stand workstations. The most important reasons for use indicated by users were that they had experiencing immediate benefits, including staying alert and increasing focus; these benefits were not acknowledged by non-users. Non-users indicated that sitting was comfortable for them and that they were therefore not motivated to use the standing option. Strategies to increase the use of the standing option included an introductory phase to become familiar with working while standing and to experience the immediate benefits that come from using the standing option. Furthermore, providing reminders to use the standing option was suggested as a strategy to increase and sustain the use of sit-stand workstations. Increased use may lead to a change in the sitting culture within the organisation, as more employees would adopt active movement behaviours. Conclusion Immediate benefits of the use of the standing option–only mentioned by the users–was the most distinct reason to use sit-stand workstations. Future research should explore how to motivate potential users to adhere to an introductory phase in order to experience these immediate benefits, whether it is linked to the use of sit-stand workstations or other interventions to reduce sitting time.

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“…Such low levels of physical activity can have negative effects on health, wellbeing and quality of life [24]. Over the past five decades, jobs and occupations have increased the amount of seated technical work or desk-based office work [25]. A systematic review reveals that people with more active jobs had lower all-cause or cardiovascular disease mortality risk than those with jobs that involved mostly sitting [26].…”

Section: Home-based Teleworking Sedentary Lifestyle and Ideal Posturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy Teleworking: Towards Personalized Exercise Recommendations

2021

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Home-based teleworking, associated with sedentary behavior, may impair self-reported adult health status. Current exercise recommendations, based on universal recipes, may be insufficient or even misleading to promote healthy teleworking. From the Network Physiology of Exercise perspective, health is redefined as an adaptive emergent state, product of dynamic interactions among multiple levels (from genetic to social) that cannot be reduced to a few dimensions. Under such a perspective, fitness development is focused on enhancing the individual functional diversity potential, which is better achieved through varied and personalized exercise proposals. This paper discusses some myths related to ideal or unique recommendations, like the ideal exercise or posture, and the contribution of recent computer technologies and applications for prescribing exercise and assessing fitness. Highlighting the need for creating personalized working environments and strengthening the active contribution of users in the process, new recommendations related to teleworking posture, home exercise counselling, exercise monitoring and to the roles of healthcare and exercise professionals are proposed. Instead of exercise prescribers, professionals act as co-designers that help users to learn, co-adapt and adequately contextualize exercise in order to promote their somatic awareness, job satisfaction, productivity, work–life balance, wellbeing and health.

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Office workers’ experiences of attempts to reduce sitting-time: an exploratory, mixed-methods uncontrolled intervention pilot study

Cited by 38 publications

References 35 publications

Is sitting invisible? Exploring how people mentally represent sitting

Is sitting invisible? Exploring how people mentally represent sitting

The user and non-user perspective: Experiences of office workers with long-term access to sit-stand workstations

Healthy Teleworking: Towards Personalized Exercise Recommendations

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