Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Nov 26:13:64-72.
doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.11.012. eCollection 2019 Mar.

Impact of sit-stand desks at work on energy expenditure, sitting time and cardio-metabolic risk factors: Multiphase feasibility study with randomised controlled component

Eleni Mantzari  1 , Catherine Galloway  1 , Katrien Wijndaele  2 , Soren Brage  2 , Simon J Griffin  2 , Theresa M Marteau  1
Affiliations

Impact of sit-stand desks at work on energy expenditure, sitting time and cardio-metabolic risk factors: Multiphase feasibility study with randomised controlled component

Eleni Mantzari et al. Prev Med Rep. .

Abstract

Uncertainties remain about the overall effect of sit-stand desks for reducing prolonged sitting among office-based workers. This study assessed the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial of the impact of workplace sit-stand desks on overall energy expenditure, sitting time and cardio-metabolic outcomes. It involved four phases: Phase I: online survey; Phase II: workspace auditing; Phase III: randomised intervention (provision of sit-stand desks at work for 3 months); Phase IV: qualitative component. Participants were offıce-based employees of two companies in Cambridge, England. Among Phase I participants interested in the trial, 100 were randomised to Phase II. Of those with workspaces suitable for sit-stand desks, 20 were randomised to Phase III. Those allocated to the intervention completed Phase IV. Outcomes included: trial participation interest, desk-type (full desks/desk mounts) and assessment location (work/laboratory/home) preferences (Phase I); proportion of workspaces permitting sit-stand desk installation (Phase II); energy expenditure, sitting time and cardio-metabolic outcomes (Phase III); study participation experiences (Phase IV). Data were collected between May 2015 and December 2016. Recruitment and trial implementation were feasible: 92% of survey respondents expressed participation interest; 80% of workspaces could accommodate sit-stand desks; assessments were done in workplaces, preferred by 71%. Sit-stand desk provision reduced workplace sitting time by 94 min/day (95% CI 17.7-170.7). Their impact on energy expenditure and cardio-metabolic outcomes is unclear. The results confirm the feasibility of a trial assessing sit-stand desks' impact on energy expenditure, sitting time and cardio-metabolic outcomes, which should reduce uncertainty concerning the intervention's potential to reduce the health risks of prolonged sitting. Trial registration ISRCTN44827407.

Keywords: Energy expenditure; Feasibility study; Height-adjustable desks; Sedentary behaviour; Sit-stand desks; Sitting; Standing; Standing desks.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow of participants through the study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adeleke S.O., Healy G.N., Smith C., Goode A.D., Clark B.K. Effect of a workplace-driven sit–stand initiative on sitting time and work outcomes. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine. 2017;2(3):20–26.
    1. Alkhajah T.A., Reeves M.M., Eakin E.G., Winkler E.A., Owen N., Healy G.N. Sit–stand workstations: a pilot intervention to reduce office sitting time. Am. J. Prev. Med. 2012;43(3):298–303. - PubMed
    1. Bentley I. School of Health Sciences Queen Margaret University; 2011. Comparison of the Accuracy of the ActivPAL Activity Monitor, the Actigraph GT1M Activity Monitor and the Actigraph GT3X Activity Monitor During Activities Of Daily Living.
    1. Berendsen B., Hendriks M., Meijer K., Plasqui G., Schaper N., Savelberg H. Which activity monitor to use? Validity, reproducibility and user friendliness of three activity monitors. BMC Public Health. 2014;14(1):749. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Biswas A., Oh P.I., Faulkner G.E. Sedentary time and its association with risk for disease incidence, mortality, and hospitalization in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis sedentary time and disease incidence, mortality, and hospitalization. Ann. Intern. Med. 2015;162(2):123–132. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources