Common Perceived Barriers and Facilitators for Reducing Sedentary Behaviour among Office Workers

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Work-related sedentary behavior is a significant public health concern.
• Previous qualitative studies have identified general barriers and facilitators to reducing sedentary time.
• Understanding office workers' specific perceptions is crucial for effective intervention design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common perceived barriers and facilitators to reducing sedentary behavior among office workers.
• To assess differences in these perceptions across subgroups (age, gender, education).
• To quantify the extent of sedentary behavior in the office environment.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative survey administered to 547 office workers from two Swedish companies.
• Assessment of perceived barriers and facilitators using questionnaires.
• Objective measurement of sedentary behavior using inclinometers in a subset of 311 participants.

Main Results:

• The most frequent barrier was 'sitting is a habit' (67%), more common in women and highly sedentary workers.
• 'Standing is uncomfortable' (29%) and 'standing is tiring' (24%) were other key barriers.
• Supported facilitators included standing/walking meetings (33%/29%) and more break reminders (31%).
• Office workers spent 64% of their time at work being sedentary.

Conclusions:

• Sedentary behavior is prevalent among office workers, with habit being a primary barrier.
• Interventions should leverage supported facilitators like standing meetings and structured breaks.
• Individualized support and consideration of subgroup differences are recommended for effective strategies to reduce sitting time.