Time spent sitting during and outside working hours in bus drivers: A pilot study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Cardiovascular Health
• Physical Activity Research

Background:

• Prolonged sedentary behavior is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• Bus drivers represent an occupational group with potentially high levels of sedentary time.
• Objective measurement of sedentary time is crucial for understanding health risks in specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To objectively measure sedentary and non-sedentary time in UK bus drivers.
• To compare sitting time on workdays versus non-workdays and during working versus non-working hours.
• To identify the need for interventions to mitigate health risks associated with sedentary behavior in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional pilot study involving 28 bus drivers from the East Midlands, UK.
• Objective monitoring of physical activity using activPAL3 inclinometers for 7 days.
• Measurement of physiological parameters including blood pressure, heart rate, waist circumference, and body composition.

Main Results:

• Bus drivers spent a significantly greater proportion of time sitting on workdays (75%) compared to non-workdays (62%).
• Sitting time was higher during working hours (83%) than non-working hours (68%) on workdays.
• Participants accumulated less than 3% of their total time actively stepping, highlighting extreme sedentary behavior.

Conclusions:

• Bus drivers exhibit high levels of sedentary time both during and outside of working hours.
• Urgent need for targeted interventions to reduce sitting time and increase physical activity in this at-risk occupational group.
• Recommendations include promoting movement during breaks and encouraging leisure-time physical activity to improve cardiovascular health.