Uprising: An examination of sit-stand workstations, mental health and work ability in sedentary office workers, in Western Australia

Abstract

Abstract. BACKGROUND:Office-based staff spend around three quarters of their work day sitting. People who sit for long periods while at work are at greater risk of adverse health outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The pilot study aimed to determine the effect of sit-stand workstations on office-based staff sedentary and physical activity behaviors, work ability and self-reported physical and mental health outcomes. METHODS: A two-group pre-post study design assessed changes in sedentary and physical activity behaviors (time spent sitting, standing and stepping and sit-stand transitions and number of steps taken) work ability and physical and mental health. Physical activity behaviors were measured using activPAL activity monitors and self-reported data on work ability and physical and mental health were collected using an online questionnaire. RESULTS: Relative to the controls (n = 19), the intervention group (n = 18) significantly decreased time spent sitting by 100 minutes (p < 0.001) and increased standing time by 99 minutes (p < 0.001). There was a decrease in self-reported current work ability when compared to lifetime best (p = 0.008). There were no significant differences for all other sedentary behavior, other workability outcomes, physical health or mental health outcomes at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The Uprising Study found that sit-stand workstations are an effective strategy to reduce occupational sitting time in office-based workers over a one month period.

The effects of introducing electric adjustable height desks in an office setting on workplace physical activity levels: A randomised control field trial

“…Using an accelerometer van Dommelen [12] recorded white collar workers sitting for between 76-80% of their occupational time. The results from these studies [12,29,36] support the baseline of normal sitting and standing patterns at work.…”

“…However, in an observational study of office and leisure activity, Thorp et al [29] reported 77% of working hours were sedentary, which left up to 23% of work time not sitting, without any intervention. Tobin et al [36] reported the same measurements as Thorp et al [29] at baseline before the introduction of an adjustable workstation. Ryan et al [43] measured sitting patterns at work and reported a mean of 66% (SD 12%) of the working day was spent sitting.…”

“…Several studies have been part of workplace health promotions to reduce occupational sitting ((Stand Up Australia series 2009, 2011, 2012 [28][29][30]; Stand up Victoria 2013 [31]; Stand @ Work Study 2012 [32,33]; Stand Up Sit Less Move More [28,34]; the North American Take A Stand Project 2011 [25]) or involved staff who would have had prior knowledge of the detrimental effects of workplace sitting [25,26,32,33]. A number of studies used desk mounted workstations, not desks, to facilitate standing at work [22,25,26,28,[32][33][34][35][36]. Other studies had different styles and types of AHDs, including electrical and mechanical adjustments in their studies [37][38][39] so there is lack of homogeneity of desk types in the studies.…”

“…Physical inactivity [1,45] and lack of decision latitude to change postures is associated with increased MSD and adverse health effects [46]. Prior to this study there was a lack of research on changes of light physical activity with the introduction of AHD, however recent studies [30,35,36] have examined the effects on light physical activity and stepping. While acknowledging the benefits of moderate to vigorous physical activity, an increase in incidental movement has the potential to have positive health benefits [8,21,47].…”

Reducing occupational sitting: Workers’ perspectives on participation in a multi-component intervention

“…In recent years there has been increasing interest in understanding the efficacy of a broad range of interventions targeting workplace sitting [5]. Sit-stand workstations, which facilitate postural shifts from sitting to standing and vice versa throughout the day, have been shown to be an effective environmental-based tool, leading to moderate to large reductions in sitting time [6, 7] with minimal or no impacts on productivity or work performance [8–10]. However, evidence reviews have suggested that greater impacts on workplace sitting may be achieved if sit-stand workstations are implemented as part of a broader approach that addresses the multiple levels of influence on behaviour [5, 11, 12].…”