title: Are we chained to our desks? Describing desk-based sitting using a novel measure of occupational sitting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prolonged occupational sitting is related to poor health outcomes. Detailed data on sitting time at desks are required to understand and effectively influence occupational sitting habits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Full-time office employees were recruited (n = 105; mean age 40.9 ± 11.5 years; BMI 26.1 ± 3.9, 65% women). Sitting at the desk and in other work contexts was measured using a sitting pad and ActivPAL for an entire working week. Employees used a diary to record work hours. Time spent at work, sitting at work and at the desk; number of sit to stand transitions at the desk; and number of bouts of continuous sitting at the desk < 20 and > 60 minutes, were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average time spent at work was 8.7 ± 0.8 hours/day with 67% spent sitting at the desk (5.8 ± 1.2 hours/day), and 4% in other workplace settings. On average, employees got up from their desks 3 times/hour (29 ± 13/day). Sitting for more than 60 consecutive minutes occurred infrequently (0.69 ± 0.62 times/day), with most sit to stands (80%; 23 ± 14) occurring before 20 minutes of continual sitting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings provide highly detailed insights into desk-based sitting habits, highlighting large proportions of time spent sitting at desks, but with frequent interruptions.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Gemma Cathrine
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Ryde
authors.forename: Helen Elizabeth
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Nicholas David
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Gilson
authors.forename: Wendy J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D057566:Self Report; D014937:Work; D017132:Workplace / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*