Prompts to disrupt sitting time and increase physical activity at work, 2011-2012.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to assess change in sitting and physical activity behavior in response to a workplace intervention to disrupt prolonged sitting time.


METHODS
Sixty office workers were randomized to either a Stand group (n = 29), which received hourly prompts (computer-based and wrist-worn) to stand up, or a Step group (n = 31), which received the same hourly prompts and an additional prompt to walk 100 steps or more upon standing. An ActivPAL monitor was used to assess sitting and physical activity behavior on the same 3 consecutive workdays during baseline and intervention periods. Mixed-effect models with random intercepts and random slopes for time were performed to assess change between groups and across time.


RESULTS
Both groups significantly reduced duration of average sitting bouts (Stand group, by 16%; Step group, by 19%) and the number of sitting bouts of 60 minutes or more (Step group, by 36%; Stand group, by 54%). The Stand group significantly reduced total sitting time (by 6.6%), duration of the longest sitting bout (by 29%), and number of sitting bouts of 30 minutes or more (by 13%) and increased the number of sit-to-stand transitions (by 15%) and standing time (by 23%). Stepping time significantly increased in the Stand (by 14%) and Step (by 29%) groups, but only the Step group significantly increased (by 35%) the number of steps per workday. Differences in changes from baseline to intervention between groups were not significant for any outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions that focus on disrupting sitting time only in the workplace may result in less sitting. When sitting time disruptions are paired with a physical activity prompt, people may be more likely to increase their workday physical activity, but the effect on sitting time may be attenuated.
Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413. E-mail: aswartz@uwm.edu.
Ann M
AM
Swartz
University of North Carolina-Asheville, Asheville, North Carolina.
Aubrianne E
AE
Rote
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee.
Whitney A
WA
Welch
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee.
Hotaka
H
Maeda
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona.
Teresa L
TL
Hart
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee.
Young Ik
YI
Cho
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee.
Scott J
SJ
Strath
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013997:Time Factors; D017132:Workplace