Office workers' beliefs about reducing sitting time at work: a belief elicitation study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Prolonged sitting in office environments poses significant health risks.
• Office workers often exceed 10 hours of daily sitting time.
• The Theory of Planned Behaviour provides a framework for understanding workplace sitting behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify salient beliefs of office workers regarding accumulating at least two hours of standing and light activity daily at work.
• To inform interventions aimed at reducing prolonged sitting in the workplace.

Main Methods:

• A belief elicitation study involving 105 full-time office workers.
• Online questionnaire using open-ended questions on behavioral, normative, and control beliefs.
• Content analysis to identify key themes in participant responses.

Main Results:

• The primary perceived advantage was improved health; the main disadvantage was reduced work productivity.
• Health personnel were seen as approving, while managers were perceived as potentially disapproving.
• A supportive physical environment was believed to facilitate the behavior, whereas work demands were seen as a barrier.

Conclusions:

• Office workers recognize health benefits but perceive potential negative impacts on work effectiveness.
• Physical environment and workplace culture are significant influences on adopting standing/activity behaviors.
• Interventions should target identified beliefs and barriers to promote behavior change.