Does the use of standing ‘hot’ desks change sedentary work time in an open plan office?

Gilson, N. D., Suppini, A., Ryde, G. C. , Brown, H. E. and Brown, W. J. (2012) Does the use of standing ‘hot’ desks change sedentary work time in an open plan office? Preventive Medicine, 54(1), pp. 65-67. (doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2011.10.012) (PMID:22056630)

Abstract

Objective This study assessed the use of standing ‘hot’ desks in an open plan office and their impact on sedentary work time. Method Australian employees (n = 11; 46.9 [9.8] years; BMI 25.9 [3.5 kg/m2]) wore an armband accelerometer for two consecutive working weeks (November–December 2010). In the second week, employees were encouraged to use a pod of four standing ‘hot’ desks to stand and work as often as possible. Desk use was recorded using time logs. The percentages of daily work time spent in sedentary (< 1.6 METs), light (1.6–3.0 METs) and moderate + (> 3 METs) intensity categories were calculated for each week, relative to the total daily time at work. Paired sample t tests were used to compare weekly differences. Results Employees spent 8:09 ± 0:31 h/day at work and ‘hot’ desk use ranged from zero to 9:35 h for the week. There were no significant changes in mean time spent in sedentary (difference of − 0.1%), light (difference of 0.8%) and moderate + (− 0.7%) intensity categories. However, individual changes in sedentary work time ranged from − 5.9 to 6.4%. Conclusions Volitional use of standing ‘hot’ desks varied and while individual changes were apparent, desk use did not alter overall sedentary work time in this sample.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Ryde, Dr Gemma
• Authors: Gilson, N. D., Suppini, A., Ryde, G. C., Brown, H. E., and Brown, W. J.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
• Journal Name: Preventive Medicine
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0091-7435