Abstract
Background: Most workplace interventions that aim to reduce sedentary behaviour have 38 focused on employees’ sedentary patterns at-work but less have focused on understanding the 39 impact beyond working time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a 13-week m-40 health workplace-based ‘sit less, move more’ intervention (Walk@WorkApp; W@W-App) on 41 physical activity (PA) and sitting in desk-based employees at-work and away from work. Methods: Participants (n = 141) were assigned by hospital to an intervention group (IG; used the W@W-App; n = 90) or an active comparison group (A-CG; monitored occupational activity; n = 51). The W@W-App, installed on the participants´ own smartphones, provided real-time feedback for occupational sitting, standing, and stepping, and gave access to automated strategies to sit less and move more at work. Changes between groups were assessed for total sitting time, sedentary bouts and breaks, and light and moderate-to-vigorous PA (activPAL3TM; min/day) between the baseline and after program completion. Results: Compared to the A-CG, employees that used the W@W-App program increased their number of daily breaks and the time spent on short sedentary bouts (<20 min, p = 0.047) during weekends. Changes in shortest sedentary bouts (5–10 min) during weekends were also statistically significant (p < 0.05). No changes in workday PA or sitting were observed. Conclusion: Desk-based employees seemed to transfer the W@W-App program knowledge outside of work. Evaluating the impact of workplace (mHealth-based or not) interventions at work but also away from work would provide a better understating of the impact of such interventions.
Highlights
In adults, prolonged sedentary behaviour [1] has been associated with a broad range of health consequences, including unhealthy cardio-metabolic biomarkers [2] and a lower physical health-related quality of life [3]
With most evidence focusing on the impact workplace interventions have on occupational sedentary patterns [18], this study evaluated the effectiveness of a Walk@Work app (W@W-App), an mHealth-based workplace “sit less, move more” intervention, on changing both occupational and non-occupational activity behaviours during work days and non-work days in desk-based employees
One hundred and thirty-two participants completed the baseline assessments (IG = 89 and active comparison group (A-CG) = 43) while the follow-up assessments were enrolled by 64 participants (IG = 42; and A-CG = 22)
Summary
In adults, prolonged sedentary behaviour [1] has been associated with a broad range of health consequences, including unhealthy cardio-metabolic biomarkers [2] and a lower physical health-related quality of life [3]. Mobile phones have the potential to increase employeesawareness and empowerment towards changing occupational sedentary and physical activity (PA) patterns [13,14]. Even less is known about the impact workplace “sit less, move more” mHealth interventions have on “off-work” sedentary and PA patterns [16,17]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a 13-week m-40 health workplace-based ‘sit less, move more’ intervention (Walk@WorkApp; W@W-App) on 41 physical activity (PA) and sitting in desk-based employees at-work and away from work. Changes between groups were assessed for total sitting time, sedentary bouts and breaks, and light and moderate-to-vigorous PA (activPAL3TM; min/day) between the baseline and after program completion. Changes in shortest sedentary bouts (5–10 min) during weekends were statistically
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