Sit-Stand Tables With Semi-Automated Position Changes: A New Interactive Approach for Reducing Sitting in Office Work

Author(s)

Barbieri, Dechristian Franca ^[1] ; Mathiassen, Svend Erik ^[2] ; Srinivasan, Divya ^{[2, 3]} ; Dos Santos, Wilian Miranda ^[4] ; Inoue, Roberto Santos ^[5] ; Goncalves Siqueira, Adriano Almeida ^[4] ; Nogueira, Helen Cristina ^[1] ; Oliveira, Ana Beatriz ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Lab Clin & Occupat Kinesiol, Dept Phys Therapy, Washington Luis Rd, Km 235, SP310, BR-13565905 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Gavle, Dept Occupat & Publ Hlth Sci, Ctr Musculoskeletal Res, Gavle - Sweden

^[3] Virginia Polytech Inst & State Univ, Dept Ind & Syst Engn, Blacksburg, VA 24061 - USA

^[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Mech Engn, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Elect Engn, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: IISE TRANSACTIONS ON OCCUPATIONAL ERGONOMICS & HUMAN FACTORS; v. 5, n. 1, p. 39-46, 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 5

Abstract

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: Introducing sit-stand tables has been proposed as an initiative to decrease sedentary behavior among office workers and thus reduce risks of negative cardiometabolic health effects. However, ensuring proper and sustainable use of such tables has remained a challenge for successful implementation. Purpose: Assess a new system developed to promote and sustain the use of sit-stand tables. Methods: The system was programmed to change the position of the table between ``sit{''} and ``stand{''} positions per a regular preset pattern if the user agreed to the system-generated prompts prior to each change. The user could respond to the system-generated prompts by agreeing, refusing, or postponing the changes by 2 minutes. We obtained user compliance data when this system was programmed to a schedule of 10 minutes of standing after every 50 minutes of sitting. Compliance was investigated among nine office workers who were offered the semi-automated sit-stand table for 2 months. Results: The system issued 12 to 14 alerts per day throughout the period. Mean acceptance rates ranged from 75.0% to 82.4%, and refusal rate ranged from 11.8% to 10.1% between the first and eighth weeks of intervention (difference not statistically significant). During the first week after introduction, the table was in a standing position for a mean of 75.2 minutes-increasing slightly to 77.5 minutes in the eighth week. Conclusions: Since the workers were essentially sitting down before the table was introduced, these results suggest that the system was well accepted, and led to an effective reduction of sitting during working hours. Users also reported that the system contributed positively to their health and well-being, without interrupting their regular work, and that they would like to continue using the sit-stand table even beyond the 2-month period as part of their regular work. Compliance beyond 2 months of use, however, needs to be verified. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/24502-2 - Does posture variation during computer use improve physical exposure of workers?: effects of using adjustable tables - sit/stand
• Grantee: Dechristian França Barbieri
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate