Introduction
Prolonged sedentary behavior is an independent risk factor for many negative health
outcomes. Although many employers have begun introducing sit–stand desks as means
of reducing employee’s occupational sitting time, few studies have examined the impact
of prolonged access to such desks on sitting/standing time or cardiometabolic outcomes.
The present study compared occupational sedentary/physical activity behaviors and
cardiometabolic biomarkers among employees with long-term access to traditional sitting
and sit–stand desks.
Methods
This study used a naturalistic, cross-sectional study design. Occupational sedentary
and physical activity behaviors and cardiometabolic health outcomes were collected
in a controlled laboratory between February and June 2014. Data were analyzed in September
2014. Adults working in full-time sedentary desk jobs who reported having either a
sit–stand desk (n=31) or standard sitting desk (n=38) for a minimum of 6 months were recruited.
Results
Employees with sit–stand desks sat less (p=0.02) and stood more at work (p=0.01) compared with employees with sitting desks. Significant inverse correlations
were observed between several occupational physical activity outcomes (walking time,
steps at work) and cardiometabolic risk factors (systolic blood pressure, weight,
lean mass, BMI) over the entire sample.
Conclusions
Employees with long-term access to sit–stand desks sat less and stood more compared
with employees with sitting desks. These findings hold public health significance,
as sit–stand desks represent a potentially sustainable approach for reducing sedentary
behavior among the large, growing number of sedentary workers at increased risk for
sedentariness-related pathologies.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 01, 2015
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
