Reducing Occupational Sitting While Working From Home: Individual and Combined Effects of a Height-Adjustable Desk and an Online Behavioral Intervention.

Abstract

This study examined the individual and combined effects of a height-adjustable desk and an online behavioral intervention on sedentary behavior and health among university employees working from home. Participants (N = 95) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: Desk Only, Program Only, Desk + Program, or Control. Desk participants received a height-adjustable desk; program participants received a 12-week web-based intervention. Outcomes measured at baseline and post-intervention included workday sitting and cardiometabolic health outcomes. Reductions in sitting were largest in the Desk + Program condition (-206 min/workday; d = 1.84), followed by the Desk Only condition (-122 min/workday; d = 0.98), and the Program Only condition (-96 min/workday; d = 1.13). There were no significant changes in the health outcomes assessed. Both a height-adjustable desk and an online behavioral intervention effectively reduced occupational sitting, and a combined approach was most effective.