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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2015 Apr 20;12(4):4340-53.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph120404340.

Repetitive daily point of choice prompts and occupational sit-stand transfers, concentration and neuromuscular performance in office workers: an RCT

Lars Donath  1 , Oliver Faude  2 , Yannick Schefer  3 , Ralf Roth  4 , Lukas Zahner  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Repetitive daily point of choice prompts and occupational sit-stand transfers, concentration and neuromuscular performance in office workers: an RCT

Lars Donath et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Objective: Prolonged office sitting time adversely affects neuromuscular and cardiovascular health parameters. As a consequence, the present study investigated the effects of prompting the use of height-adjustable working desk (HAWD) on occupational sitting and standing time, neuromuscular outcomes and concentration in office workers.

Methods: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) with parallel group design was conducted. Thirty-eight office workers were supplied with HAWDs and randomly assigned (Strata: physical activity (PA), BMI, gender, workload) to a prompt (INT) or non-prompt (CON) group. INT received three daily screen-based prompts within 12 weeks. CON was only instructed once concerning the benefits of using HAWDs prior to the start of the study. Sitting and standing times were objectively assessed as primary outcomes for one entire working week using the ActiGraph wGT3X-BT at baseline (pre), after 6 (mid) and 12 weeks (post). Concentration (d2-test), postural sway during upright stance (under single, dual and triple task) and lower limb strength endurance (heel-rise) were collected as secondary outcomes.

Results: With large but not statistically significant within group effects from pre to post, INT increased weekly standing time at work by 9% (p = 0.22, d = 0.8) representing an increase from 7.2 h (4.8) to 9.7 (6.6) h (p = 0.07). Concentration and neuromuscular performance did not change from pre to post testing (0.23 < p < 0.95; 0.001 < ηp² < 0.05).

Conclusion: Low-frequent and low cost screen-based point of choice prompts (3 per day within 12 weeks) already result in notable increases of occupational standing time of approx. daily 30 min. These stimuli, however, did not relevantly affect neuromuscular outcomes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participant flow throughout the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage of occupational sitting and standing time at pre, after 6 weeks (mid) and 12 weeks (post) for INT (squares with solid line) and CON (triangles with dashed line). Data are depicted as means and standard deviations (SD). Pairwise effect sizes are provided as standardized mean differences (Cohen’s d).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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