Workplace Sedentary Behavior and Productivity: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Sara K Rosenkranz,Richard R Rosenkranz,Emily Umansky,Emily L Mailey,Elizabeth Ablah

doi:10.3390/ijerph17186535

Abstract

Reducing sedentary behavior in the workplace has become an important public health priority; however, some employers have expressed concerns regarding the potential for reduced productivity if employees are not seated while at work. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between workplace sedentary behavior (sitting time) and work productivity among full-time office-based employees, and further to investigate other potential factors associated with productivity. A 19-item online self-report survey was completed by 2068 government employees in Kansas. The survey assessed workplace sedentary behavior, work productivity, job satisfaction, and fatigue. Overall, office workers reported high levels of sedentary time (mean > 78%). The primary results indicated that sitting time was not significantly associated with productivity (β = 0.013, p = 0.519), but job satisfaction and fatigue were positively (β = 0.473, p < 0.001) and negatively (β = −0.047, p = 0.023) associated with productivity, respectively. Furthermore, participants with the highest level of sitting time (>91% of the time) reported lower job satisfaction and greater fatigue as compared with the lowest level of sitting time (<75% of the time). Taken together, these results offer promising support that less sitting time is associated with positive outcomes that do not seem to come at the expense of productivity.

Highlights

High levels of sedentary behavior are commonplace in the United States
Data from participants who did not answer any of the job satisfaction, fatigue, and productivity measures (n = 367) and from participants who were not full-time employees (n = 193)
The results suggest that office workers in the current study were primarily sedentary during the workday, sitting for approximately 78% of their time spent at work

Summary

Introduction

High levels of sedentary behavior are commonplace in the United States. Television watching, and commuting to work each increase the amount of sedentary time for adults [2,3]. Sedentary behavior is especially common in the workplace; office workers sit for about 70% of the time spent at work [4,5,6]. There is a wealth of evidence that demonstrates a relationship between increased sedentary behavior and a higher risk of a host of negative health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, type. In light of the detrimental health effects of high levels of sedentary behavior, public health researchers have committed considerable efforts toward interventions designed to reduce sedentary behavior, among office workers.

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Discussion

Conclusion