The associations of sedentary behaviour and physical activity with musculoskeletal symptoms in hybrid office workers:...

Hybrid work, combining home-office work and working in the office, is the new norm for desk-based jobs. This work modality further increases sedentary behaviour and may subsequently increase the behaviours related effects on health, such as musculoskeletal symptoms. However, little is known about accumulated physical activity (PA) patterns and sedentary behaviours (SB) (and their associations with health) since the adoption of hybrid work after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the aims of the study are to (i) examine patterns of SB and PA among hybrid office workers, (ii) assess their associations with musculoskeletal symptoms, and (iii) assess the impact of replacing time spent in SB with PA on musculoskeletal symptoms.

In this cross-sectional study, hybrid office employees from Ireland, Slovenia, Spain and the Netherlands were enrolled. Self-reported measures assessed sociodemographics. Musculoskeletal symptoms were measured using the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire as the presence of any discomfort in the past 7 days. Total, occupational and non-occupational SB, standing, light-intensity PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were assessed by the activPAL™. A compositional data analysis was employed to investigate the associations between SB and PA patterns and musculoskeletal symptoms. For significantly associated patterns, isotemporal substitution analyses were conducted.

A total of 163 hybrid office workers (71.8% female; median age 39 years) participated in the study. Overall, 51.5% of participants reported musculoskeletal symptoms in at least one body region. On average, participants sat for 11.08 h/day, accumulating 20 min more sitting time while working during home-office work than in the traditional office location (p < 0.001), with greater proportion of prolonged sitting bouts (p = 0.041). The proportion of sitting time relative to the other 24-hour day behaviours on days of home-office work was associated with musculoskeletal symptoms (OR: 2.75, 95% CI: 1.24, 6.55). Reallocating sitting time with MVPA was associated with a lower predicted probability of experiencing musculoskeletal symptoms at home, with greater differences observed at higher amounts of substitution.

Sitting time during home-office working days is associated with musculoskeletal symptoms, while replacing it with MVPA is associated with lower odds of such symptoms. These findings may inform future strategies to reduce SB and promote PA in hybrid work contexts across a 24-hour framework.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06247228. Registered 30 January 2024.