Absence of conflict of interest
Citation
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of the Stand and Move at Work intervention on health outcomes.
- This study was a randomized controlled trial. Using data collected via clinical and biomarker assessments and an online questionnaire, the authors conducted statistical models to compare the outcomes of treatment and control group members at 3 and 12 months.
- The study did not find any statistically significant differences between the groups in the amount of time spent sitting or engaging in light physical activity.
- This study receives a high evidence rating for 3-month outcomes. This means we would be confident that any estimated effects were attributable to Stand and Move at Work, and not to other factors. The study receives a moderate evidence rating for 12-month outcomes. This means we would be somewhat confident that the estimated effects were attributable to the Stand and Move at Work program, but other factors might also have contributed. However, the study did not find statistically significant effects.
Intervention Examined
Stand and Move at Work
Features of the Intervention
The Stand and Move at Work intervention combined the use of sit-stand workstations and a multicomponent intervention consisting of workplace policy (i.e., managerial support), physical environment (i.e., centrally located printers and waste bins), social environment (i.e., role modeling), and individual-level changes during a 12-month period. The intervention aimed to reduce sitting and increase light physical activity (LPA) at work, and also increase overall health outcomes of employees. The program served employees who had desk-based work.
Features of the Study
The study was a randomized controlled trial conducted in Phoenix, AZ and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. The authors randomly assigned 24 worksites, with 12 assigned to the treatment group and 12 assigned to the control group. The worksites included three sectors (academic, industry/healthcare, and government). The study sample included 630 workers employed across the 24 worksites, with 354 employees in the treatment group and 276 employees in the control group. To be eligible for the study, participants needed to be 18 or older, have generally good health, working full-time, not pregnant, have a predominantly sitting office job, and be willing to have a sit-stand desk installed. The majority of the sample were female (74.4%), non-Hispanic whites (70.5%), with an average age of 44.6. Over half had some college education (61.1%) and were professional level employees (53.5%). Treatment participants received the STAND+ programming and received sit-stand workstations to use while working. The control participants received the MOVE+ intervention that targeted increases in LPA. The study used assessments collected at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months. Assessments included clinical and biomarker data to measure sitting and physical activity during work and nonwork time periods. The authors used statistical models to compare the outcomes of treatment and control group members.
Findings
Health and safety
- The study did not find any statistically significant effects of the Stand and Move at Work program on participants’ time spent sitting or light physical activity at either 3 months or 12 months.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The study had high attrition for the 12-month primary outcomes. However, the authors did ensure that the groups being compared were similar before program participation and the 12-month outcomes are eligible to receive a moderate evidence rating.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is high for the 3-month outcomes because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we would be confident that the estimated effects were attributable to the Stand and Move at Work program, and not to other factors. For the 12-month outcomes, the quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because the study had high attrition, but the authors ensured that the groups were similar before the intervention. This means we would be somewhat confident that the estimated effects were attributable to the Stand and Move at Work program, but other factors might also have contributed. However, the study did not find statistically significant effects.