StandUP UBC: Reducing Workplace Sitting
Condition: Sedentary Lifestyle
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Research indicates that sedentary behaviours, such as prolonged sitting, have negative health
      consequences and increases risk for disease. Unfortunately, many office-workers spend a high
      proportion of their workday sitting, often in prolonged unbroken bouts. Recent interventions
      have provided active workstations (e.g., sit-stand desks) to reduce employee sitting.
      However, cost prohibits provision of these desks in work environments. There is a need for
      low-cost solutions to reduce sitting at work. The purpose of this study is to determine
      whether provision of a low-cost standing desk reduces workplace sitting, and results in
      improvements in work engagement and fatigue, compared to usual practice.
    

Detailed description: 
      Study objectives: This study aims to provide a cost-effective solution to reducing sitting
      time during the workday, through provision of (1) low-cost cardboard standing desks ($20),
      and (2) simple behaviour change strategies (e.g., instruction on how to break up sitting time
      and information on the health consequences of doing so).

      Background: Sedentary behaviour, defined as 'any waking behaviour characterised by an energy
      expenditure ≤1.5 metabolic equivalents while in a sitting, reclining, or lying posture', is a
      risk factor for poor health, independent of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
      High levels of sedentary behaviour and excessive bouts of prolonged sitting is associated
      with increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

      Sedentary behaviours are prevalent among Canadian adults, who often spend a large proportion
      of their waking hours sitting (e.g., work, commuting, watching TV), and office workers have
      been identified as one of the most sedentary occupational groups. Sedentary behaviour can be
      reduced by replacing sitting time with standing or light ambulation. In order to do so, it is
      vital to create an environment that makes sitting less likely and standing/moving easier.
      There is some evidence that introduction of sit-stand desks can reduce occupational sitting
      time within office environments ; however, there are cost barriers to the provision of these
      desks in work environments and few randomized control trials have demonstrated the long-term
      compliance and effectiveness of these desks on health- (e.g., weight, waist circumference,
      blood-derived biomarkers, musculoskeletal symptoms, fatigue) and work-related (e.g., work
      performance/productivity) outcomes. These are important factors that need to be considered
      and studied in further detail to quantify the benefit of sit-stand workstations.

      Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a low-cost
      intervention aimed at reducing workplace sitting time in office workers.

      Primary objectives:

      • To evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention at reducing daily occupational sitting
      time over 6 months.

      Secondary objectives:

      • To explore whether the intervention results in improvements in work engagement and
      productivity, and occupational fatigue.

      Methods/Design: The intervention will be delivered and evaluated over a 6-month period. This
      study is a two-arm randomized waitlist-controlled trial with one intervention group and one
      control group. After eligibility assessment, individuals will be randomly allocated to either
      the intervention or the control arm. The experimental group participants will receive a
      low-cost cardboard standing desk converter in their regular office environment and behaviour
      change strategies to break up sitting time, while the control group participants will not
      encounter any change to their regular work environments or be provided with any behaviour
      change strategies.

      Intervention for experimental group:

      Each participant allocated to the experimental group will receive a low-cost, cardboard,
      fixed-height standing desk converter (https://oristand.co/) that will be placed in their
      regular office environment, along with their usual sitting desk. The participants will be
      instructed on how to use the fixed-height standing desk converter (herein referred to as
      standing desk) as a way to break up sitting time every 30 minutes. In addition, each
      participant will be provided with information about the health benefits of breaking up
      sitting time.

      Waitlist Control group:

      Control group participants will not encounter any changes to their regular office
      environment. They will be provided with the standing desk and behaviour change strategies
      6-months post-intervention.
    

Intervention name(s): Standing desk intervention; Waitlist control
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Standing desk converter; Control
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: sitting