Determinants of favourable sitting and movement behaviour when working in the office and at home
Results of an interview study (SITFLEX-2)
Objective:
Office workers spend about 70 percent of their working time seated. Sitting for more than 8h per day is associated with health problems such as hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus. This study aims to reveal what office workers, in interview, consider to be the facilitators and barriers to breaking up sitting time in the office and when working remotely, and to make recommendations based on their insights.
Methods:
Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 employees performing sedentary work in an international company. The analysis was carried out using Mayring’s content analysis on the basis of the COM-B model of behaviour (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behaviour). The modified model of possible determinants of sedentary behaviour in the work context was used to identify preliminary guidance for enabling healthier sedentary behaviour at work.
Results:
The interviews indicate that awareness of the importance of sitting breaks and movement, and their association with health, was a prerequisite for promoting healthy behaviour. In addition to spatial and social incentives, work task organisation that allows employees to take a break from sitting is perceived as beneficial. Spatial and social incentives are often particularly lacking when working from home. Regardless of the working environment, a work culture that supports and encourages sitting breaks and movement is important. There are several barriers to this. Sitting at a desk for long periods of time, for instance, is perceived to be associated with higher productivity, while time pressure masks physical sensations so that sitting breaks are often forgotten.
Conclusions:
Due to the increasing prevalence of working from home, there is a clear need for appropriate procedures and a working culture that promote breaks from sitting and movement during remote work.
