Can a workplace 'sit less, move more' programme help Spanish office employees achieve physical activity targets?

Abstract

We evaluated the impact of a workplace 'sit less, move more' programme (Walk@WorkSpain, W@WS, 19-week) on self-reported activity-related energy expenditure (AREE) in Spanish office employees (n = 264; 42 ± 10 years; 171 female) randomly assigned to Intervention (IG; used W@WS; n = 129) or comparison groups (CGs; n = 135). A linear mixed model assessed changes in METs-min/wk of total, vigorous, moderate and light physical activity (IPAQ short form) between baseline and 2 months follow-up. Over the CG, IG significantly increased light intensity AREE (P = 0.027). W@WS secured sustained increases on AREE-but not on achieving PA recommendations-providing translational evidence that active living in office employees can be increased.