Total and domain-specific sitting time among employees in desk-based work settings in Australia
Bauman, A; Pedisic, Z; Timperio, A; van Uffelen, J; Bennie, JA; Salmon, J; Crawford, D; Dunstan, D
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To describe the total and domain-specific daily sitting time among a sample of Australian office-based employees.
METHODS:
In April 2010, paper-based surveys were provided to desk-based employees (n=801) in Victoria, Australia. Total daily and domain-specific (work, leisure-time and transport-related) sitting time (minutes/day) were assessed by validated questionnaires. Differences in sitting time were examined across socio-demographic (age, sex, occupational status) and lifestyle characteristics (physical activity levels, body mass index [BMI]) using multiple linear regression analyses.
RESULTS:
The median (95% confidence interval [CI]) of total daily sitting time was 540 (531-557) minutes/day. Insufficiently active adults (median=578 minutes/day, [95%CI: 564-602]), younger adults aged 18-29 years (median=561 minutes/day, [95%CI: 540-577]) reported the highest total daily sitting times. Occupational sitting time accounted for almost 60% of total daily sitting time. In multivariate analyses, total daily sitting time was negatively associated with age (unstandardised regression coefficient [B]=-1.58, p<0.001) and overall physical activity (minutes/week) (B=-0.03, p<0.001) and positively associated with BMI (B=1.53, p=0.038).
CONCLUSIONS:
Desk-based employees reported that more than half of their total daily sitting time was accrued in the work setting.
IMPLICATIONS:
Given the high contribution of occupational sitting to total daily sitting time among desk-based employees, interventions should focus on the work setting.
| Journal | AUST N Z J PUBLIC HEALTH |
| ISSN | 1326-0200 |
| Published | 01 Jun 2015 |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 237-42 |
| DOI | 10.1111/1753-6405.12293 |
| Type | Journal Article |
| Sponsorship |