Impact of Prolonged Sitting on Well-being and Productivity among Computer Workstation Users: Ergonomic Study

Abstract

A computer workstation/workplace is one where the majority of work is accomplished by using a computer, keeping a record in hard and soft copy and communicating over the telephone. Most computer workstation is sedentary in nature and often include prolonged sitting without break. Computer workstation often involves sitting for long hours to get the jobs done. Studies have shown that prolonged seating in the workplace leads to musculoskeletal discomforts, increased risks of cardiovascular diseases and overweight. In present study, a questionnaire-based self-feedbacks survey was undertaken so as to study the various relationship of prolonged sitting and computer workstation setups with regards to overweight, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and perceived comforts levels and productivity of workers. Data were then analyzed using IBM SPSS (version 22). It was found that prolonged sitting time has significant impacts on overweight, lower levels of comforts and productivity among workers. There is also a significantly high prevalence of Musculoskeletal discomforts among workers who are subjected to prolonged seating working hours. The result shows that different workstation setup affects different parts of the user body. It is recommended that a flexible sit-stand table should be adopted to reduce negative impacts.