Development, validation, acceptability and usability of a device-based system to measure sit-stand desk usage

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Human-computer interaction
• Ergonomics

Background:

• Sit-stand desks promote health benefits by reducing sedentary behavior.
• Accurate measurement of sit-stand desk usage is crucial for research and interventions.
• Existing methods for tracking desk usage may lack accuracy or user-friendliness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an open-source device, the Desk Positioning System (DPS), for measuring sit-stand desk usage.
• To assess the accuracy, usability, and acceptability of the DPS across different conditions and desk types.

Main Methods:

• The Desk Positioning System (DPS) was developed as an open-source device.
• Accuracy was tested in controlled (Study 1) and free-living (Study 2) settings, with video as a criterion.
• Usability and acceptability were evaluated over short-term (1 week) and longer-term (5 weeks) periods (Study 3).

Main Results:

• The DPS achieved 100% accuracy in identifying desk presence and height in Study 1.
• In Study 2, the DPS demonstrated high accuracy (F1>0.95) and precision (>0.98) against video recordings.
• Study 3 participants reported high acceptability (4.4-4.6/5) and usability (scores above industry benchmark) for the DPS.

Conclusions:

• The Desk Positioning System (DPS) offers a highly accurate method for quantifying sit-stand desk usage.
• The device is both acceptable and usable for participants in short-term and longer-term studies.
• The DPS presents a valuable tool for researchers and clinicians investigating sedentary behavior and workstation ergonomics.