Skip to main content
Top
Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 1/2024

Open Access 10-11-2023 | Original Article

What it takes to reduce sitting at work: a pilot study on the effectiveness and correlates of a multicomponent intervention

Authors: Jannik Porath, Laura I. Schmidt, Juliane Möckel, Chiara Dold, Lisa Hennerkes, Alexander Haussmann

Published in: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health | Issue 1/2024

Login to get access

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to assess the feasibility and effects of a simple-to-implement multicomponent intervention to reduce sedentary time of office workers.

Methods

Six groups of eight to ten office workers took part in the two-week Leicht Bewegt intervention. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline (T0, n = 52), after 2 weeks (T1, n = 46), and after 5 weeks (T2, n = 38), including subjective sedentary measures and social-cognitive variables based on the health action process approach (HAPA). Objective sedentary measures were obtained using activPAL trackers.

Results

The intention to reduce sedentary behavior during work increased significantly from T0 to T1. Participants’ objective and subjective sitting time decreased significantly from T0 to T1, corresponding to an average decrease per 8-h-workday of 55 min (d = − .66) or 74 min (d = − 1.14), respectively. This reduction persisted (for subjective sitting time) at T2 (d = − 1.08). Participants indicated a high satisfaction with the intervention.

Conclusions

The Leicht Bewegt intervention offers a feasible and effective opportunity to reduce sedentary behavior at work. Randomized controlled trials including longer follow-up time periods are needed to validate its benefits in different workplaces.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
go back to reference Biswas A, Oh PI, Faulkner GE, Bajaj RR, Silver MA, Mitchell MS, Alter DA (2015) Sedentary time and its association with risk for disease incidence, mortality, and hospitalization in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med 162(2):123–132. https://doi.org/10.7326/m14-1651CrossRef Biswas A, Oh PI, Faulkner GE, Bajaj RR, Silver MA, Mitchell MS, Alter DA (2015) Sedentary time and its association with risk for disease incidence, mortality, and hospitalization in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med 162(2):123–132. https://​doi.​org/​10.​7326/​m14-1651CrossRef
go back to reference Burkhart PV, Sabaté E (2003) Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for action. J Nurs Scholarsh 35(3):207CrossRef Burkhart PV, Sabaté E (2003) Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for action. J Nurs Scholarsh 35(3):207CrossRef
go back to reference Chau JY, Daley M, Dunn S, Srinivasan A, Do A, Bauman AE, van der Ploeg HP (2014) The effectiveness of sit-stand workstations for changing office workers’ sitting time: results from the Stand@Work randomized controlled trial pilot. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 11(1):127. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-014-0127-7CrossRef Chau JY, Daley M, Dunn S, Srinivasan A, Do A, Bauman AE, van der Ploeg HP (2014) The effectiveness of sit-stand workstations for changing office workers’ sitting time: results from the Stand@Work randomized controlled trial pilot. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 11(1):127. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1186/​s12966-014-0127-7CrossRef
go back to reference Cohen J (1988) Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Routledge Academic Cohen J (1988) Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Routledge Academic
go back to reference Cox E, Walker S, Edwardson CL, Biddle SJH, Clarke-Cornwell AM, Clemes SA, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Eborall H, Granat MH, Gray LJ, Healy GN, Maylor BD, Munir F, Yates T, Richardson G (2022) The cost-effectiveness of the SMART work & life intervention for reducing sitting time. Int J Environ Res Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214861CrossRef Cox E, Walker S, Edwardson CL, Biddle SJH, Clarke-Cornwell AM, Clemes SA, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Eborall H, Granat MH, Gray LJ, Healy GN, Maylor BD, Munir F, Yates T, Richardson G (2022) The cost-effectiveness of the SMART work & life intervention for reducing sitting time. Int J Environ Res Public Health. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​ijerph192214861CrossRef
go back to reference Edwardson CL, Yates T, Biddle SJH, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Esliger DW, Gray LJ, Jackson B, O’Connell SE, Waheed G, Munir F (2018) Effectiveness of the stand more AT (SMArT) work intervention: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ 363:k3870. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k3870CrossRef Edwardson CL, Yates T, Biddle SJH, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Esliger DW, Gray LJ, Jackson B, O’Connell SE, Waheed G, Munir F (2018) Effectiveness of the stand more AT (SMArT) work intervention: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ 363:k3870. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1136/​bmj.​k3870CrossRef
go back to reference Edwardson CL, Biddle SJH, Clemes SA, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Eborall H, Granat MH, Gray LJ, Healy GN, Jaicim NB, Lawton S, Maylor BD, Munir F, Richardson G, Yates T, Clarke-Cornwell AM (2022) Effectiveness of an intervention for reducing sitting time and improving health in office workers: three arm cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ 378:e069288. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-069288CrossRef Edwardson CL, Biddle SJH, Clemes SA, Davies MJ, Dunstan DW, Eborall H, Granat MH, Gray LJ, Healy GN, Jaicim NB, Lawton S, Maylor BD, Munir F, Richardson G, Yates T, Clarke-Cornwell AM (2022) Effectiveness of an intervention for reducing sitting time and improving health in office workers: three arm cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ 378:e069288. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1136/​bmj-2021-069288CrossRef
go back to reference Healy GN, Eakin EG, Winkler EA, Hadgraft N, Dunstan DW, Gilson ND, Goode AD (2018) Assessing the feasibility and pre-post impact evaluation of the beta (test) version of the BeUpstanding champion toolkit in reducing workplace sitting: pilot study. JMIR Form Res 2(2):e17. https://doi.org/10.2196/formative.9343CrossRef Healy GN, Eakin EG, Winkler EA, Hadgraft N, Dunstan DW, Gilson ND, Goode AD (2018) Assessing the feasibility and pre-post impact evaluation of the beta (test) version of the BeUpstanding champion toolkit in reducing workplace sitting: pilot study. JMIR Form Res 2(2):e17. https://​doi.​org/​10.​2196/​formative.​9343CrossRef
go back to reference Michaud TL, You W, Estabrooks PA, Leonard K, Rydell SA, Mullane SL, Pereira MA, Buman MP (2022) Cost and cost-effectiveness of the “Stand and Move at Work” multicomponent intervention to reduce workplace sedentary time and cardiometabolic risk. Scand J Work Environ Health 48(5):399–409. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4022CrossRef Michaud TL, You W, Estabrooks PA, Leonard K, Rydell SA, Mullane SL, Pereira MA, Buman MP (2022) Cost and cost-effectiveness of the “Stand and Move at Work” multicomponent intervention to reduce workplace sedentary time and cardiometabolic risk. Scand J Work Environ Health 48(5):399–409. https://​doi.​org/​10.​5271/​sjweh.​4022CrossRef
go back to reference Niven A, Baker G, Almeida EC, Fawkner SG, Jepson R, Manner J, Morton S, Nightingale G, Sivaramakrishnan D, Fitzsimons C (2023) “Are We Working (Too) Comfortably?” Understanding the nature of and factors associated with sedentary behaviour when working in the home environment. Occup Health Sci 7(1):71–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-022-00128-6CrossRef Niven A, Baker G, Almeida EC, Fawkner SG, Jepson R, Manner J, Morton S, Nightingale G, Sivaramakrishnan D, Fitzsimons C (2023) “Are We Working (Too) Comfortably?” Understanding the nature of and factors associated with sedentary behaviour when working in the home environment. Occup Health Sci 7(1):71–88. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s41542-022-00128-6CrossRef
go back to reference Patterson R, McNamara E, Tainio M, de Sá TH, Smith AD, Sharp SJ, Edwards P, Woodcock J, Brage S, Wijndaele K (2018) Sedentary behaviour and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, and incident type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose response meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol 33(9):811–829. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-018-0380-1CrossRef Patterson R, McNamara E, Tainio M, de Sá TH, Smith AD, Sharp SJ, Edwards P, Woodcock J, Brage S, Wijndaele K (2018) Sedentary behaviour and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, and incident type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose response meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol 33(9):811–829. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s10654-018-0380-1CrossRef
go back to reference Thorp AA, Healy GN, Winkler E, Clark BK, Gardiner PA, Owen N, Dunstan DW (2012) Prolonged sedentary time and physical activity in workplace and non-work contexts: a cross-sectional study of office, customer service and call centre employees. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 9(1):128. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-9-128CrossRef Thorp AA, Healy GN, Winkler E, Clark BK, Gardiner PA, Owen N, Dunstan DW (2012) Prolonged sedentary time and physical activity in workplace and non-work contexts: a cross-sectional study of office, customer service and call centre employees. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 9(1):128. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1186/​1479-5868-9-128CrossRef
Metadata
Title
What it takes to reduce sitting at work: a pilot study on the effectiveness and correlates of a multicomponent intervention
Authors
Jannik Porath
Laura I. Schmidt
Juliane Möckel
Chiara Dold
Lisa Hennerkes
Alexander Haussmann
Publication date
10-11-2023
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health / Issue 1/2024
Print ISSN: 0340-0131
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1246
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-023-02020-4

Other articles of this Issue 1/2024

International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 1/2024 Go to the issue