Standing Meetings Are Feasible and Effective in Reducing Sitting Time among Office Workers-Walking Meetings Are Not: Mixed-Methods Results on the Feasibility and Effectiveness of Active Meetings Based on Data from the "Take a Stand!" Study.

Ida H Danquah,Janne S Tolstrup

doi:10.3390/ijerph17051713

Ida H Danquah, Janne S Tolstrup

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051713

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Abstract

Active meetings (standing or walking) have the potential to reduce sitting time among office workers. The aim of the present study was to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of standing and walking meetings. The “Take a Stand!” study was a cluster-randomized trial, consisting of multiple components including the possibility of active meetings. Analyses were based on the 173 participants in the intervention group. Feasibility was evaluated by questionnaire and interview data from participants, ambassadors and leaders. Effectiveness was assessed as the change in objectively measured sitting time from baseline to 3 months follow-up. Regular standing meetings were implemented at all offices and were generally popular, as they were perceived as more effective and focused. In contrast, only a few walking meetings were completed, and these were generally associated with several barriers and perceived as ineffective. Participants who participated in standing meetings on a regular basis had 59 min less sitting per 8 h workday (95%CI −101;−17) compared to participants who did not participate in standing meetings at all. Walking meeting participation was not significantly associated with changes in sitting time, likely due to the low number of employees who used this option. This explorative study concludes that standing meetings in office workplaces were feasible and well-liked by the employees, and having frequent standing meetings was associated with reduced sitting time. In contrast, walking meetings were unfeasible and less liked, and thus had no effect on sitting time.

Highlights

A high level of sitting time is detrimental to health [1,2]
The intervention is described in detail elsewhere [8], but in short, it consisted of five components: (i) Appointment of ambassadors and management support; (ii) Environmental changes, e.g., installation of high meeting tables and definition of routes for walking meetings; (iii) Lecture on sedentary behavior and health; (iv) Workshop to ensure local adaptation at the individual, office and workplace levels through four themes: using a sit-stand desk, breaking up sitting, standing and walking meetings and setting common goals at office level; and (v) Optional weekly e-mails and biweekly text messages
Seven workers discontinued the intervention after 3 months, because they withdrew from the project (2), left the workplace (4) or were on prolonged leave (1)

Summary

Introduction

A high level of sitting time is detrimental to health [1,2]. Multicomponent interventions, including changes to the office environment, changes in the organization of the work and provision of information, have proved effective to reduce sitting time [3]. One element often included in such interventions is standing and walking meetings. Only very little research has been done into this area, with studies being pilot studies or focusing on the perceptions of standing and walking meetings [4,5,6,7]. A review of sitting time interventions at the workplace by Shrestha et al [3] concluded that there were no studies investigating the effects of standing or walking meetings on sitting time. Public Health 2020, 17, 1713; doi:10.3390/ijerph17051713 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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