Excessive Sitting Research Articles

Excessive occupational sitting increases risk of cardiovascular events among working individuals with type 1 diabetes in the prospective Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study

BackgroundSedentary behavior, such as excessive sitting, increases risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality in the general population, but this has not been assessed in type 1 diabetes. Occupational sitting is increasingly ubiquitous and often constitutes the largest portion of daily sitting time. Our aim was to identify clinical factors associated with excessive occupational sitting in type 1 diabetes and, in a prospective setting, to explore its association with cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, independent of leisure-time physical activity.MethodsAn observational follow-up study of 1,704 individuals (mean age 38.9 ± 10.1 years) from the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study. Excessive occupational sitting, defined as ≥ 6 h of daily workplace sitting, was assessed using a validated self-report questionnaire. Data on cardiovascular events and mortality were retrieved from national registries. Multivariable logistic regression identified independently associated factors, while Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models were used for prospective analyses.ResultsFactors independently and positively associated with excessive occupational sitting included a high occupational category [OR 6.53, 95% CI (4.09‒10.40)] and older age [1.02 (1.00‒1.03)], whereas negatively associated factors included current smoking [0.68 (0.50‒0.92)], moderate albuminuria [0.55 (0.38‒0.80)], and high leisure-time physical activity [0.52 (0.36‒0.74)]. During a median follow-up of 12.5 (6.5–16.4) years, 163 individuals (9.6%) suffered cardiovascular events, and during a median follow-up of 13.7 (9.4–16.6) years, 108 (6.3%) deaths occurred. Excessive occupational sitting increased cardiovascular event risk (hazard ratio [HR] 1.55 [95% CI 1.10‒2.18]) after adjustment for confounders and other covariates. Furthermore, in a stratified multivariable analysis among current smokers, excessive occupational sitting increased the risk of all-cause mortality (2.06 [1.02‒4.20]).ConclusionsExcessive occupational sitting is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality in individuals with type 1 diabetes. This association persists regardless of leisure-time physical activity, after adjusting for independently associated variables identified in our cross-sectional analyses. These findings underscore the need to update physical activity guidelines to better address sedentary behavior and improve outcomes for individuals with type 1 diabetes. Targeting occupational sitting should be considered a key focus for interventions aimed at reducing overall sedentary time.

Sitting Time and Its Interaction With Physical Activity in Relation to All-Cause and Heart Disease Mortality in U.S. Adults With Diabetes.

To evaluate whether associations between sitting time and all-cause and heart disease mortality are modified by physical activity in adults with diabetes. Data came from 6,335 U.S. adults with diabetes from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018 (baseline), with mortality follow-up through 2019. Sitting time and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were self-reported. Cox models were adjusted for sociodemographics, lifestyle factors, and medical conditions. Over a median follow-up of 5.9 years, 1,278 all-cause and 354 heart disease deaths were documented (mean age, 59.6 years; 48.3% female). Longer sitting time was associated with greater all-cause and heart disease mortality risk in inactive (MVPA <10 min/week) or insufficiently active (MVPA 10 to <150 min/week) adults with diabetes, but not in active adults (MVPA ≥150 min/week) (all-cause mortality: P = 0.003 for interaction; heart disease mortality: P = 0.008 for interaction). In adults with diabetes, meeting guideline-recommended physical activity may offset the elevated all-cause and heart disease mortality risk associated with excessive sitting time.

Maternal physical activity and sitting time and its association with placental morphology and blood flow during gestation: Findings from the Queensland Family Cohort study

ObjectivesAntenatal exercise is associated with placental morphological alterations, however research in this area is limited. Given the emphasis on the beneficial effects of antenatal exercise, it is important to understand its effect on placental function and the relationship to foetal development. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity, sitting time, and placental outcomes measured during gestation. DesignProspective cohort study. MethodsPregnant women in the Queensland Family Cohort study self-reported physical activity at 24 and 36 weeks of gestation (n = 203) and were categorised into physical activity volume groups of nil–low (0–<500 metabolic equivalent of task·minutes/week), moderate (500–<1000 metabolic equivalent of task·minutes/week), or high-volume activity (≥1000 metabolic equivalent of task·minutes/week). Participants reported average daily sitting time, whereby excessive sitting time was considered as ≥8h/day. Placental stiffness, thickness, and uteroplacental blood flow resistance were measured by ultrasound imaging at each timepoint. ResultsPhysical activity volume was not associated with changes to placental morphometrics or uteroplacental blood flow resistance at 24 or 36 weeks of gestation. Excessive sitting time at 36 weeks was associated with greater placental stiffness (p = 0.046), and a lower umbilical artery pulsatility index (p = 0.001). ConclusionsPlacental tissue stiffness and umbilical artery resistance were altered in late gestation with higher maternal sitting time but not with physical activity volume. Overall, excessive sitting time may be a risk for suboptimal placental function and could be an important focus for antenatal care.

What's Your Poison? Is Sitting Always Health Hindering and Moving Always Health Promoting?

The clear public messaging from international health authorities is that individuals should "sit less and move more." While it is acknowledged that this guidance needs to be tailored to the age of people and also to their health, and abilities, the guidance is not tailored to their current level of physical behaviors. This opinion piece aims to highlight that although people with excessive sitting and insufficient moderate-to-vigorous physical activity should sit more and move less, for other people their health would be promoted by sitting more and moving less. Thus, physical behaviors are not always "poison" or "medicine," but rather the health impact of changes in physical behaviors depends on people's initial levels. Policy, research, and practice implications of this realization are presented. Only tailoring messaging to age and health status could be far from optimal for people with very different current levels of physical behaviors. Policy, research, and practice will be enhanced when the potential for physical behaviors to be either health hindering or healthpromoting is adequately considered.

Pathomechanisms Of Non-Coding RNAs, Hub Genes, and Lifestyle Related To The Oxidative Stress In Type 2 Diabetes And Cardiac Complications.

Cytokine storms, oxidative stress, and hyperglycemia can enhance the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Moreover, T2D may change the functional and structural heart. However, some signaling pathways, such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia, can play in T2D, and various pathomechanics and pathophysiology involved in T2D are not understood. Moreover, it is well documented that the non-coding RNAs are potentially pivotal molecules in oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death signaling pathways. Hence, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs may have vital roles in oxidative stress, inflammation, metabolism, T2D, and cardiovascular systems. Non-coding RNAs can target hub gene networks and suppress or trigger various cascades. Furthermore, lifestyle is the other factor that may affect the prevalence of T2D. A sedentary lifestyle and excessive sitting can enhance inflammation, oxidative stress, and hyperglycemia. Here, we attempt to comprehend the role of hub genes, non-coding RNAs, and unhealthy lifestyles on the pathomechanics and pathophysiology of diabetic vascular complications.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of sedentary behaviour interventions in offices to reduce sitting time in Australian desk-based workers: A modelling study.

Sedentary behaviour (SB) is associated with increased incidence of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular disease, cancers, and premature mortality. SB interventions in workplaces are effective in reducing sitting time. Previous economic evaluations have not specifically used changes in sitting time to estimate the long-term impact of SB on chronic disease-related health and cost outcomes. This research evaluated the cost-effectiveness of three hypothetical SB interventions: behavioural (BI), environmental (EI) and multi-component intervention (MI), implemented in the Australian context, using a newly developed epidemiological model that estimates the impact of SB as a risk factor on long-term population health and associated cost outcomes. Pathway analysis was used to identify the resource items associated with implementing each of the three interventions using a limited societal perspective (included costs: health sector, individuals and industry; excluded costs: productivity). The effectiveness of the modelled interventions in reducing daily sitting time (informed by published meta-analyses) was modelled for the Australian working population aged 20-65 years. A multi-cohort Markov model was developed to simulate the 2019 Australian population and estimate the incidence, prevalence and mortality of five diseases causally related to excessive sitting time, over the life course. Monte-Carlo simulations were used to calculate each intervention's mean incremental costs and benefits (quantified as health adjusted life years HALYs) compared to a do-nothing comparator. When implemented at the national level, the interventions were estimated to reach 1,018 organisations with 1,619,239 employees. The estimated incremental cost of SB interventions was A$159M (BI), A$688M (EI) and A$438M (MI) over a year. Incremental health-adjusted life years (HALYs) gained by BI, EI and MI were 604, 919 and 349, respectively. The mean ICER for BI was A$251,863 per HALY gained, A$737,307 for EI and A$1,250,426 for MI. Only BI had any probability (2%) of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of A$50,000 per HALY gained from a societal perspective. SB interventions are not cost-effective when a reduction in sitting time is the outcome measure of interest. The cost-effectiveness results are heavily driven by the cost of the sit-stand desks and the small HALYs gained from reducing sitting time. Future research should focus on capturing non-health-benefits of these interventions, such as productivity, work satisfaction, and other health benefits: metabolic, physical, and musculoskeletal outcomes. Importantly, the health benefits of simultaneously reducing sitting time and increasing standing time for such interventions should be captured with the joint effects of these risk factors appropriately considered.

Research of Carbon Biosensors for Application in Seating Furniture

The paper provides a limited overview of existing pressure sensors based on composite technology from carbonized biomass and synthetic materials which could be implemented in seating furniture. Carbon-based pressure sensors have proven to be good for pressure measurement that works on the principle of the piezoresistive effect. Research on materials based on carbonized components of biological origin encourages the development of composite sensors made of different materials, which have different negative and positive properties. Despite the great potential, such sensors are still not sufficiently researched and there is a lot of space for their improvement. Today’s rapid development of technologies and frequent work at the computer leads to excessive sitting while working, which is a big problem for human health. Chairs with sensors could be increasingly used in the future, and in combination with the Internet of Things could be used to monitor the sitting habits and health of users. Sensors implemented in seating furniture are one way of monitoring sitting habits, warning users of inappropriate body positions when sitting, and mitigating the negative consequences of long-term improper sitting. The paper analyses research that includes the production and application of sensors made of carbonized bio-materials, which could be used in seating furniture with the aim of monitoring the way of sitting based on the principle of pressure detection. So far, the results have not provided the requested answers. However, they provided an overview of technologies that, with additional research, likely have the potential to be incorporated into seating furniture.

PANDEMIC EFFECTS AT PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL LEVEL OF THE ATHLETES

The pandemic COVID-19 has globally affected the physical activity behavior, forcing many people to isolate themselves for a long period of time. These actions caused and increased sedentary behaviors such as excessive sitting or using mobile devices. The lockdown and sedentary behavior have affected the health status and decreased the physical fitness, weakening one’s body and inducing a low immunological response. The aim of the study was to determine how elite handball players were affected at physical and mental during the restrictions imposed by the spreading of the SARS - CoV - 2 virus. A questionnaire-based survey was used to conduct the study. For the questionnaire design we used Likert style with three or five level items. The participants voluntarily consented to anonymously participate in our study before completing the questionnaire. The participants were informed that the data would be used only for scientific purpose. The results of our study suggest that pandemic negatively influenced the sport preparation of the handball players due the fact that subjects trained themselves for a period of over 2 months and that meant a reduction of the physical activity (influencing the physical fitness level) to half comparing to a collective preparation for competition. At mental level more than 2/3 felt an increased level of anxiety due to the pandemic, the way that their life was changed and worries concerning their personal and professional future. This period of incertitude had a negative impact at mental level confirming our hypothesis.

Designing and Simulation Assessment of a Chair Attachment Air Blowing Methods to Enhance the Safety of Prolonged Sitting.

Musculoskeletal disorders and the stagnation of sitting are among the side effects of excessive sitting in awkward sitting positions. In this study, a developed chair attachment cushion design with an optimal air blowing technique is proposed to eliminate the negative side effects of prolonged sitting. Instantaneously reducing the contact area between the chair and its occupant is the fundamental goal of the proposed design. The fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approaches represented by FAHP and FTOPSIS were integrated to evaluate and select the optimal proposed design. An ergonomic and biomechanics assessment of the occupant's seating position while employing the novel safety cushion design was validated using simulation software (CATIA). Sensitivity analysis was also used to confirm the design's robustness. Results show that the manual blowing system using an accordion blower was the optimal design concept based on the selected evaluation criteria. In fact, the proposed design provides an acceptable RULA index value for the examined sitting postures and performed very safely in the biomechanics single action analysis.

The Fidget Factor and the obesity paradox. How small movements have big impact.

The hypothesis is that the Fidget Factor is the innate neurological pulse that propels humans and other species to move to support their health. Fidgets, previously thought to be spontaneous, are neurologically regulated and highly ordered (non-random). Modern societies being chair-based overwhelm Fidget Factor pulses and consequently inflict chair-based living for transportation, labor, and leisure. Despite impulses firing through the nervous system, people sit because environmental design overwhelms the biology. Urbanization and chair-based societies were designed after the industrial revolution to promote productivity; however, the consequence has been opposite. Crushing the natural urge to move-the Fidget Factor-is a public health calamity. Excess sitting is associated with a myriad of detrimental health consequences and impairs productivity. Fidgeting may reduce all-cause mortality associated with excessive sitting. The Fidget Factor offers hope; data demonstrate that workplaces and schools can be designed to promote activity and free people's Fidget Factors. Evidence shows that people are happier, healthier, wealthier, and more successful if their Fidget Factors are freed.

Valuing preventable deaths from major non-communicable diseases and all causes associated with sedentary behavior in Argentina

ObjectiveThis study estimated the population attributable fractions, preventable deaths, and indirect economic costs from major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and all causes associated with excessive sitting time in Argentina in 2019. MethodsPopulation attributable fractions were used to calculate preventable deaths from NCDs and all causes associated with prolonged sitting time (≥6 h/d). Then, the human capital approach was used to quantify the present value of lifetime earnings, which was subsequently used to calculate indirect costs due to lost productivity. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed in three counterfactual scenarios to evaluate the sensitivity of the results. ResultsIn Argentinian men and women, respectively, approximately 11.3% (381) [10% (290)] of deaths from colon cancer, 4.4% (250) from breast cancer (women only), 4.6% (588) [4.4% (402)] from coronary heart disease, 30.5% (1390) [27% (1047)] from diabetes, and 14.9% (24,686) [13.7% (21,418)] from all causes could have been avoided annually by eliminating excessive sitting time. The indirect economic costs of excessive sitting time reached 0.025% (0.019%–0.032%) and 0.37% (0.25–0.58%) of gross domestic product (GDP) for major NCDs and all causes, respectively. High levels of heterogeneity were found at the regional level. ConclusionProlonged sitting time generates substantial societal costs. Public policies aimed at reducing excessive sedentary behavior in the overall population, especially in the most affected regions, would represent considerable savings for society as a whole. Such initiatives should address the complex and multifactorial causes of sedentary behavior, the clear gender and age differences in this behavior, and the factors underlying these differences.

Association between sedentary behavior and chronic kidney disease in Korean adults

BackgroundChronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant health care burden, with a worldwide prevalence of approximately 11%. The general population spends over 50% of the awake time sedentary activities. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has evaluated the association between sedentary time and CKD, with a focus on both kidney damage and kidney function, in the South Korean population. Accordingly, the present study aimed to address this gap in the knowledge.MethodWe used data from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The analysis included 9,534 participants, especially excluded those who had been diagnosed with kidney disease or who were currently undergoing treatment. Sedentary behavior was self-reported by the participants. An estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and/or albuminuria were used as measures for detection of CKD according to the guidelines of the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes. We analyzed the data using multiple logistic regression.ResultsAmong the women, the risk of CKD was significantly greater among those who sat for ≥ 12 h/d relative to those who sat for < 6 h/d, after adjusting for physical activity and other covariates (odds ratio [OR]: 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–2.06). Similarly, among those who sat over 12 h/d, those who engaged in low levels of physical activity had a higher risk of CKD than those who engaged in high levels of activity (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.04–2.61). No statistically significant results were found for men.ConclusionExcessive sedentary behavior was associated with an increased risk of CKD, especially albuminuria, regardless of the level of physical activity, only in women. These findings emphasize the importance of avoiding excessive sitting for a long time and increasing overall physical activity levels.

Are the different cut-off points for sitting time associated with excess weight in adults? A population based study in Latin America

BackgroundExcess weight is increasing worldwide, and in Latin America more than half of the population is excess weight. One of the reasons for this increase has been excessive sitting time. Still, it remains to be seen whether there is an excessive amount of that time in Latin American adults. This study aimed to associate different sitting time cut-off points with the excess weight.MethodsData from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS), a cross-sectional population-based survey conducted in eight Latin American countries, were used. The excess weight indicators used were body mass index, and waist and neck circumferences. Sitting time was obtained using questionnaires and categorized at different cut-off points. Differences between sitting time categories (< 4 or ≥ 4; < 6 or ≥ 6; and < 8 or ≥ 8 hours/day) and excess weight were obtained by Student’s t test for independent samples and the association between sitting time categories and different indicators of excess weight were obtained by logistic regression.ResultsThe median of the sitting time was 420 min/day (IQR: 240–600). There were no significant differences between body mass index (kg/m2) and waist circumference (cm) with categories of sitting time. The mean values of neck circumference (cm) were significantly higher in ≥4, ≥6 and ≥ 8 hours/day than < 4, < 6, and < 8 hours/day of sitting time in the pooled sample. Some distinct differences by country were observed. There were significant differences among excess weight by body mass index (63.2% versus 60.8) with < 8 vs ≥8 hours/day of sitting time. The proportion of excess weight by neck circumference was higher in participants who reported ≥4, ≥6, and ≥ 8 hours/day compared to < 4, < 6, and < 8 hours/day of sitting time. Considering ≥8 hours/day of sitting time, higher odds of excess weight were found evaluated by body mass index (OR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.20) and neck circumference (OR: 1.13; CI 95%: 1.03, 1.24) overall.ConclusionsSitting time above 8 hours/day was associated with higher odds of excess weight, even though there were no differences in waist circumference between sitting time categories.Trial registrationClinical Trials NCT02226627. (27/08/2014).

The Frail-LESS (LEss Sitting and Sarcopenia in Frail older adults) intervention to improve sarcopenia and maintain independent living via reductions in prolonged sitting: a randomised controlled feasibility trial protocol

BackgroundSarcopenia is a progressive and generalised loss of muscle mass and function with advancing age and is a major contributor to frailty. These conditions lead to functional disability, loss of independence, and lower quality of life. Sedentary behaviour is adversely associated with sarcopenia and frailty. Reducing and breaking up sitting should thus be explored as an intervention target for their management. The primary aim of this study, therefore, is to examine the feasibility, safety, and acceptability of conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT) that evaluates a remotely delivered intervention to improve sarcopenia and independent living via reducing and breaking up sitting in frail older adults.MethodsThis mixed-methods randomised controlled feasibility trial will recruit 60 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 65 years with very mild or mild frailty. After baseline measures, participants will be randomised to receive the Frail-LESS (LEss Sitting and Sarcopenia in Frail older adults) intervention or serve as controls (usual care) for 6 months. Frail-LESS is a remotely delivered intervention comprising of tailored feedback on sitting, information on the health risks of excess sitting, supported goal setting and action planning, a wearable device that tracks inactive time and provides alerts to move, health coaching, and peer support. Feasibility will be assessed in terms of recruitment, retention and data completion rates. A process evaluation will assess intervention acceptability, safety, and fidelity of the trial. The following measures will be taken at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months: sitting, standing, and stepping using a thigh-worn activPAL4 device, sarcopenia (via hand grip strength, muscle mass, and physical function), mood, wellbeing, and quality of life.DiscussionThis study will determine the feasibility, safety, and acceptability of evaluating a remote intervention to reduce and break up sitting to support improvements in sarcopenia and independent living in frail older adults. A future definitive RCT to determine intervention effectiveness will be informed by the study findings.Trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN17158017; Registered 6 August 2021, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN17158017

Sitting vs. standing: an urgent need to rebalance our world

ABSTRACT During their activities of daily living, humans run, walk, stand, sit and lie down. Recent changes in our environment have favored sedentary behavior over more physically active behavior to such a degree that our health is in danger. Here, we sought to address the problem of excessive time spent seated from various theoretical viewpoints, including postural control, human factors engineering, human history and health psychology. If nothing is done now, the high prevalence of sitting will continue to increase. We make a case for the standing position by demonstrating that spending more time upright can mitigate the physiological and psychological problems associated with excessive sitting without lowering task performance and productivity. The psychological literature even highlights potential benefits of performing certain tasks in the standing position. We propose a number of recommendations on spending more time (but not too much) in the standing position and on more active, nonambulatory behaviors. There is a need to inform people about (i) harmful consequences of excessive sitting and (ii) benefits of spending more time performing active, nonambulatory behaviors. One clear benefit is to reduce detrimental health consequences of excessive sitting and to provide potential additional benefits in terms of productivity and performance.

Pathomechanisms of non-coding RNAs and hub genes related to the oxidative stress in diabetic complications

Cytokine storms, oxidative stress, and hyperglycemia can enhance the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Moreover, T2D may change the functional and structural heart. However, some signaling pathways, such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia, can play in T2D, and various pathomechanics and pathophysiology involved in T2D are not understood. Moreover, it is well documented that the non-coding RNAs are potentially pivotal molecules in oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death signaling pathways. Hence, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs may have vital roles in oxidative stress, inflammation, metabolism, T2D, and cardiovascular systems. Non-coding RNAs can target hub gene networks and suppress or trigger various cascades. Furthermore, lifestyle is the other factor that may affect the prevalence of T2D. A sedentary lifestyle and excessive sitting can enhance inflammation, oxidative stress, and hyperglycemia. Here, we attempt to comprehend the role of hub genes, non-coding RNAs, and unhealthy lifestyles on the pathomechanics and pathophysiology of diabetic vascular complications.

Automatic Position Detection and Posture Recognition of Grouped Pigs Based on Deep Learning

The accurate and rapid detection of objects in videos facilitates the identification of abnormal behaviors in pigs and the introduction of preventive measures to reduce morbidity. In addition, accurate and effective pig detection algorithms provide a basis for pig behavior analysis and management decision-making. Monitoring the posture of pigs can enable the detection of the precursors of pig diseases in a timely manner and identify factors that impact pigs’ health, which helps to evaluate their health status and comfort. Excessive sitting represents abnormal behavior when pigs are frustrated in a restricted environment. The present study focuses on the automatic recognition of standing posture and lying posture in grouped pigs, which shows a lack of recognition of sitting posture. The main contributions of this paper are as follows: A human-annotated dataset of standing, lying, and sitting postures captured by 2D cameras during the day and night in a pig barn was established, and a simplified copy, paste, and label smoothing strategy was applied to solve the problem of class imbalance caused by the lack of sitting postures among pigs in the dataset. The improved YOLOX has an average precision with an intersection over union threshold of 0.5 (AP0.5) of 99.5% and average precision with an intersection over union threshold of 0.5–0.95 (AP0.5–0.95) of 91% in pig position detection; an AP0.5 of 90.9% and an AP0.5–0.95 of 82.8% in sitting posture recognition; a mean average precision with intersection over union threshold of 0.5 (mAP0.5) of 95.7% and a mean average precision with intersection over union threshold of 0.5–0.95 (mAP0.5–0.95) of 87.2% in all posture recognition. The method proposed in our study can improve the position detection and posture recognition of grouped pigs effectively, especially for pig sitting posture recognition, and can meet the needs of practical application in pig farms.

A-REST (Activity to Reduce Excessive Sitting Time): A Feasibility Trial to Reduce Prolonged Sitting in Police Staff.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a theory-derived sedentary workplace intervention for police office staff. Twenty-four staff participated in an 8-week intervention (single arm, pre-post design) incorporating an education session, team competition with quick response (QR) codes, team trophy, weekly leaderboard newsletters, a self-monitoring phone app, and electronic prompt tools. The intervention supported participants to reduce and break up their sitting time with three minutes of incidental movement every 30 min at work. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed using mixed methods via the RE-AIM QuEST and PRECIS-2 frameworks. The intervention was highly pragmatic in terms of eligibility, organisation, adherence, outcome, and analysis. It was slightly less pragmatic on recruitment and setting. Delivery and follow-up were more explanatory. Reach and adoption indicators demonstrated feasibility among police staff, across a range of departments, who were demographically similar to participants in previous office-based multi-component interventions. The intervention was delivered mostly as planned with minor deviations from protocol (implementation fidelity). Participants perceived the intervention components as highly acceptable. Results showed improvements in workplace sitting and standing, as well as small improvements in weight and positive affect. Evaluation of the intervention in a fully powered randomised controlled trial to assess behaviour and health outcomes is recommended.

‘Just Right’ job design: A conceptual framework for sustainable work in rail driving using the Goldilocks Work Paradigm

Excessive physical demand at work has traditionally been connected with adverse health outcomes, but excessive sitting is now also being recognised as an occupational hazard and emerging work-related risk. Traditional preventive occupational health and ergonomics programs are useful but limited through reliance on individual behaviour change and time-diversion from productive work. A new ‘Goldilocks Work Paradigm’ aims to optimise health and productivity by using movements of productive tasks. Using rail driving as a specific case of a highly sedentary and inflexible working environment, we construct a conceptual framework for designing better jobs, arguing that a theoretical amalgamation of the new Goldilocks Work Paradigm with System Thinking, Participatory Ergonomics, and a Risk Management Framework, is needed, for establishing a unified, strategic approach—a ‘just right’ job design model. We extend this by outlining a practical process of designing better jobs with tools that can be used to achieve it.

Evaluating a multi-component intervention to reduce and break up office workers\u2019 sitting with sit-stand desks using the APEASE criteria

ObjectiveSedentary workplace interventions have had success in reducing excessive sitting time in office workers, but barriers to implementation and uptake remain. This study formally assessed a theory-derived, sit-stand desk intervention using the APEASE (Acceptability, Practicability, Effectiveness, Affordability, Side-effects, Equity) criteria. MethodsThirteen adults (eight female, mean age 38 ± 10 years) from the treatment arm of a sedentary behaviour intervention participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic codes were inductively assigned to data items followed by deductive charting using the APEASE criteria. ResultsThe intervention was highly acceptable, practicable, safe to deploy, and helped workers reduce workplace sitting time, though individual preferences and workload mediated engagement. Affordability of sit-stand desks and Equity of access were potential barriers to uptake.Conclusions Through the lens of the APEASE criteria, this theory-derived, multi-component sit-stand desk intervention showed acceptability, practicability and effectiveness in reducing and breaking up sedentary time at work with minimal side effects. Using this approach with further tailoring and personalisation may help workers achieve greater reductions in workplace sitting, though affordability and equity should be considered further.