One-year follow-up of a sit-stand workstation intervention to decrease sedentary time in office workers

Background: Prolonged sedentary time is associated with adverse health outcomes, after controlling for the role of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. We previously reported on a four-week randomized trial using a sit-stand desk (SSD) intervention that decreased sedentary time at work without changing activity level during non-work hours. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of the SSD on sitting time and activity level one year after the original intervention. Methods: A pre-post design was used where the control period from the original study was regarded as “pre” and the measurements made in the follow-up study as “post.” The follow-up study was conducted in the same office workers over a two-week period in June 2013. Results: Fifteen out of the 23 participants took part in the follow-up study. Self-reported sitting time during work-hours was decreased by 22% (95% CI: 15% to 29%; p < 0.001), replaced almost entirely by standing. Activity measured by Gruve accelerometer during work-hours were significantly higher in the one-year follow-up period compared to baseline (+24,748 AU/h; 95% CI: 7150 to 42,347; p < 0.01). Sedentary time during work-hours was decreased by 0.77 min per work-hour (95% CI: −1.88 to 0.33 min/h; p = 0.17). Qualitative findings through focus group sessions suggested the workers had overall favorable experiences with the SSDs without negatively impacting productivity. Conclusion: One year following the original intervention, participants continue to have increased activity and decreased sedentary time at work with the use of SSDs.