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/KL.7. Making office workers healthier: A public health intervention making office workers use their height-adjustable office desks more, conducted for LINAK® 2017 1.0 Background Sedentary behavior and health There is a broad agreement among clinicians and public health experts that sedentary behavior has negative effects on our health (van Uffelen, et al., 2010; Schmid & Leitzmann, 2014). Prospective studies have found that sedentary behavior during work hours increases the risks of both diabetes mellitus and overall mortality (van Uffelen, et al., 2010). In addition, a large metaanalysis by Schmid and Leitzmann (2014) showed an increased risk of certain types of cancer among individuals with a sedentary lifestyle (Schmid & Leitzmann, 2014). Further, several studies (van Uffelen, et al., 2010) have found associations between sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease and obesity. In short, the human body evolved to move, and we are now discovering the potential consequences of having a daily behavior that goes against our biology. Sedentary behaviour “The absence of physical activity e.g. prolonged hours of sitting.” (van Uffelen, et al., 2010) Why is this a problem? Because the majority in developed countries are sitting down most of the day, while working, when watching television, when eating, when transporting ourselves, etc. We spend up to 12 hours a day sitting, many of these hours during work (van der Ploeg, Chey, Korda, Banks, & Bauman, 2012). A study by Thorp et al. conducted in Australia among 193 employees in offices, call centers and customer service showed that office workers were sedentary 77 % of working hours (Thorp, et al., 2012). These findings are consistent with findings in other European countries (Ryan, Dali, Granat, & Grant, 2011; Toomingas, Forsman, Mathiassen, Heiden, & Nilsson, 2012). In addition, a study by McCrady et al. has shown a major difference in the average time sitting when at work and during leisure with an average of sitting down 100 minutes more during workdays (McCrady & Levine, 2009). “We spend up to 12 hours a day sitting, many of these hours during work.” (van der Ploeg, Chey, Korda, Banks, & Bauman, 2012). So, we are spending too much time sitting down during work, which is bad for us, but many of us engage in physical activity outside working hours. Can we avoid the adverse effects of sitting down during work by being active during leisure? As devastating as it may sound, studies suggest that high intensity physical activity doesn’t make up for the adverse health effects of sedentary behavior during work hours. A review by Hamilton et al. found that sedentary behavior can lead to adverse cardiovascular and metabolic effects that are independent of whether people meet the general guidelines for physical activity (Hamilton, Healy, Dunstan, Zderic, & Owen, 2008). This claim is supported by another study where the effects of sitting time on risk of cancer persists after controlling for physical activity during leisure time (Schmid & Leitzmann, 2014). 1.0 Background 2.0 Behavioral Design 3.0 Method 4.0 Results 5.0 Discussion 6.0 Conclusion 4
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/KL.7. Making office workers healthier: A public health intervention making office workers use their height-adjustable office desks more, conducted for LINAK® 2017 Sedentary behavior and health How can we address this problem? A large number of workplace interventions have been carried out and evaluated during the last decade. Research suggests that interventions, that target modifications in the working environment on the individuallevel, produces the largest reduction in workplace sitting time (Dunstan, et al., 2013). One effective way of reducing sedentary behavior at work is by providing office workers with height-adjustable office desks. Several studies have been carried out showing that installing a height-adjustable office desk can reduce the hours spent sitting down during work with thirty minutes to two hours (Shrestha, et al., 2016; Tew, Posso, Arundel, & McDaid, 2015). In addition, frequent changes in posture while working has been associated with a higher level of productivity (Karakolis & Callghan, 2014). “We cannot change the entire environment in which people work, but we can reduce the hours of sedentary behavior.” We cannot change the entire environment in which people work, but we can reduce the hours of sedentary behavior and positively impact office workers’ health during work hours by providing height-adjustable office desks. However, a challenge has been to make office workers integrate the use of their height-adjustable desks while being at work. As one of the world’s leading companies providing electrical actuator solutions for height-adjustable office desks, LINAK A/S has the opportunity of positively influencing millions of people’s wellbeing and health. However, a big challenge for LINAK is that they are a sub supplier in the value chain. This means that LINAK is never in direct contact with the office worker of their height-adjustable office desks. So how can LINAK make sure that office workers will use and keep using their height-adjustable desks, when workplaces are investing in office equipment that has the potential to improve workers health? They can’t. However, this was what LINAK wanted to investigate – how do we make office workers use their height-adjustable office desks more? Together with /KL.7, one of the leading behavioral design agencies in Europe, LINAK set out to investigate, design, and test solutions that could help close the intention/action gap - having a height-adjustable office desks, but not using it or only using it to a small extent. Background Behavioral Design Method Results Discussion Conclusion 5
