The purpose of this study is to determine whether an on-screen prompt put on the work computer every 30 minutes is effective in getting office workers to reduce prolonged periods of sitting at work.
Prolonged bouts of uninterrupted time spent sitting is associated with indicators of poor health, independent of how physically active a person is. Many occupations are now sedentary, and are characterised by long periods spent sitting at a desk. Brief education on the benefits of standing regularly and breaking up prolonged sitting will be provided to participants, working at a Scottish University. One intervention group will additionally have software installed on their work computer which placed a prompt window in the centre of their screen for 1 minute every 30 minutes. The prompt will remind participants to stand-up and take a break, and the window cannot be removed or minimised.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
30
Prompting software (MyRestBreak 1.0 copyright Vikram Sharma) will be installed on the work computer. A prompt with the message "stand up, take a break" is placed on the screen of the work computer for 1 minutes every 30 minutes, from the time the computer is switched on in the morning. The prompt is contained in a window 11x9 cm in the centre of the screen. The prompt cannot be removed or minimised, but work can continue in any windows visible around the prompt. The prompt is on the computer for 5 days.
A short educational talk, read from a script, regarding the health risks of prolonged sitting, stating that standing every 30 minutes could be beneficial. A short information leaflet stating with the same message is also provided.
School of Health & Life Sceinces, Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow, Lanarkshire, United Kingdom
duration of prolonged sitting
total time spent sitting in continuous uninterrupted prolonged (\>30minutes) sitting events at work
Time frame: 5 days
total sitting duration
total time spent sitting while at work
Time frame: 5 days
number of sitting events
total number of uninterrupted sitting events (of any duration) during work
Time frame: 5 days
step count
total number of steps taken while at work
Time frame: 5 days
break duration
the duration of breaks between sitting events
Time frame: 5 days
walking time
total time spent walking at work
Time frame: 5 days
standing time
total time spent standing while at work
Time frame: 5 days
number of prolonged sitting events
the number of continuous uninterrupted prolonged (\>30minutes) sitting events during work
Time frame: 5 days
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