Abstract
BackgroundAs the health risks of sedentary working environments become more clear, greater emphasis on the implementation of walking interventions to reduce sitting time is needed. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigate the role of treadmill-desk interventions on energy expenditure, sitting time, and cardiometabolic health in adults with sedentary occupations.MethodsRelevant studies published in English were identified using CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases up to December 2020. Random effects meta-analysis models were used to pool study results.ResultsThirteen relevant studies (six workplaces and seven laboratories) were found with a total of 351 participants. Pooled analysis of laboratory studies showed a significant increase in energy expenditure (105.23 kcal per hour, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 90.41 to 120.4), as well as metabolic rate (5.0 mL/kg/min, 95% CI: 3.35 to 6.64), among treadmill desk users compared to sitting conditions. No evidence of significant differences in blood pressure were found. In workplace studies, we observed a significant reduction in sitting time over a 24-h period (− 1.73 min per hour, 95% CI: − 3.3 to − 0.17) among users of treadmill desks, compared to a conventional desk. However, there were no evidence of statistically significant changes in other metabolic outcomes.ConclusionsTreadmill desks offer a feasible and effective intervention to increase energy expenditure and metabolic rate and reduce sitting time while performing work-related tasks. Future studies are needed to increase generalizability to different workplace settings and further evaluate their impact on cardiometabolic health.
Highlights
Adults spend the majority (i.e., 10 to 13 h) of their waking day being sedentary [1, 2]
According to the Sedentary Behavior Research Network, sedentary behaviour is defined as energy expenditure (≤ 1.5 metabolic equivalent of task [METs]) that is performed while an individual is awake and not standing [8]
Previous research has shown that irrespective of the time spent in physical activity, prolonged sedentary activity is associated with negative health effects such as cardiometabolic abnormalities [5, 49,50,51]
Summary
Adults spend the majority (i.e., 10 to 13 h) of their waking day being sedentary [1, 2]. High levels of sedentary activity are associated with morbidity and mortality [1,2,3,4], including a dose-response relationship between sitting time and According to the Sedentary Behavior Research Network, sedentary behaviour is defined as energy expenditure (≤ 1.5 metabolic equivalent of task [METs]) that is performed while an individual is awake and not standing [8]. Oye-Somefun et al BMC Public Health (2021) 21:2082 sedentary work environments [9,10,11] coinciding with fewer opportunities for daily physical activity and energy expenditure in the workplace [12,13,14]. In this systematic review and metaanalysis, we investigate the role of treadmill-desk interventions on energy expenditure, sitting time, and cardiometabolic health in adults with sedentary occupations
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