Cited by 109Physical Activity and HealthErgonomics and Musculoskeletal DisordersWorkplace Health and Well-being

Evaluating the effectiveness of organisational-level strategies with or without an activity tracker to reduce office workers’ sitting time: a cluster-randomised trial

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Brakenridge, C. L., Fjeldsoe, B. S., Young, D. C., Winkler, E. A. H., Dunstan, D. W., Straker, L. M., Healy, G. N.·2016·International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Office workers engage in high levels of sitting time. Effective, context-specific, and scalable strategies are needed to support widespread sitting reduction. This study aimed to evaluate organisational-support strategies alone or in combination with an activity tracker to reduce sitting in office workers. METHODS: From one organisation, 153 desk-based office workers were cluster-randomised (by team) to organisational support only (e.g., manager support, emails; 'Group ORG', 9 teams, 87 participants), or organisational support plus LUMOback activity tracker ('Group ORG + Tracker', 9 teams, 66 participants). The waist-worn tracker provided real-time feedback and prompts on sitting and posture. ActivPAL3 monitors were used to ascertain primary outcomes (sitting time during work- and overall hours) and other activity outcomes: prolonged sitting time (≥30 min bouts), time between sitting bouts, standing time, stepping time, and number of steps. Health and work outcomes were assessed by questionnaire. Changes within each group (three- and 12 months) and differences between groups were analysed by linear mixed models. Missing data were multiply imputed. RESULTS: At baseline, participants (46 % women, 23-58 years) spent (mean ± SD) 74.3 ± 9.7 % of their workday sitting, 17.5 ± 8.3 % standing and 8.1 ± 2.7 % stepping. Significant (p < 0.05) reductions in sitting time (both work and overall) were observed within both groups, but only at 12 months. For secondary activity outcomes, Group ORG significantly improved in work prolonged sitting, time between sitting bouts and standing time, and overall prolonged sitting time (12 months), and in overall standing time (three- and 12 months); while Group ORG + Tracker, significantly improved in work prolonged sitting, standing, stepping and overall standing time (12 months). Adjusted for confounders, the only significant between-group differences were a greater stepping time and step count for Group ORG + Tracker relative to Group ORG (+20.6 min/16 h day, 95 % CI: 3.1, 38.1, p = 0.021; +846.5steps/16 h day, 95 % CI: 67.8, 1625.2, p = 0.033) at 12 months. Observed changes in health and work outcomes were small and not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Organisational-support strategies with or without an activity tracker resulted in improvements in sitting, prolonged sitting and standing; adding a tracker enhanced stepping changes. Improvements were most evident at 12 months, suggesting the organisational-support strategies may have taken time to embed within the organisation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry: ACTRN12614000252617 . Registered 10 March 2014.

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  • One study reported a 56% loss to follow-up in the intervention group and 65% in the control group.

    “One study [32] reported a 56% loss to follow-up in the intervention group and 65% in the control group”

    From Consumer-based wearable activity trackers increase physical activity participation: systematic review and meta-analysis (2019) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Discussion (Study strengths and limitations; page unavailable) explicitly says there was no control group. The Results (Participant characteristics; page unavailable) instead report missing activPAL data of 59.8% in Group ORG and 69.7% in Group ORG + Tracker—both intervention groups—not 56% and 65% loss to follow-up in intervention and control groups. (LLM, conf=0.89)

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  • 4 studies reported low activity tracker wear time, with 1 study reporting that all participants had ceased wearing their activity tracker by the end of the intervention.

    “Furthermore, 4 studies [32,37,38,45] reported low activity tracker wear time, with 1 study [32] reporting that all participants had ceased wearing their activity tracker by the end of the intervention.”

    From Consumer-based wearable activity trackers increase physical activity participation: systematic review and meta-analysis (2019) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Results (Intervention fidelity; page unavailable) report modest tracker uptake, limited use in the first 12 weeks, and cessation of use by 12 months in all study completers. That supports low wear time and eventual discontinuation, but not the claim that all participants had stopped wearing the tracker by the end of the intervention: the finding is limited to study completers at 12 months. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • Actual wear time of the activity tracker varied, ranging from over 90% wear time to all participants ceasing to wear the device by the end of the intervention.

    “Actual wear time of the activity tracker varied, ranging from over 90% wear time [21,22] to all participants ceasing to wear the device by the end of the intervention [32] as the study design allowed self-directed wear of the activity tracker.”

    From Consumer-based wearable activity trackers increase physical activity participation: systematic review and meta-analysis (2019) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Results (Intervention fidelity; page unavailable) state that LUMOback usage had ceased by 12 months in all study completers, supporting the cited end of the wear-time range. The claim says “all participants,” but the paper limits that finding to study completers. The Methods (Interventions; page unavailable) confirm that tracker wear was self-directed. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • The two studies that were 12 months or longer reported lower adherence rates compared with shorter duration studies.

    “The 2 studies that were 12 months or longer [32,37] reported lower adherence rates compared with shorter duration studies.”

    From Consumer-based wearable activity trackers increase physical activity participation: systematic review and meta-analysis (2019) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Intervention fidelity section reports some tracker use during the first 12 weeks but says usage had ceased by 12 months in all study completers. This supports declining tracker use over time in this study, but the paper does not establish that both cited long-duration studies had lower adherence rates than shorter-duration studies. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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  • Less time was spent in sedentary behavior for those receiving a consumer-based wearable activity tracker intervention compared with control groups; however, the finding was not significant, and the quality of the evidence was graded as very low.

    “Less time was spent in sedentary behavior for those receiving a consumer-based wearable activity tracker intervention compared with control groups; however, the finding was not significant, and the quality of the evidence was graded as very low [29,31-33,37-40].”

    From Consumer-based wearable activity trackers increase physical activity participation: systematic review and meta-analysis (2019) · cites this paper as [32]

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Authors
Brakenridge, C. L., Fjeldsoe, B. S., Young, D. C., Winkler, E. A. H., Dunstan, D. W., Straker, L. M., & Healy, G. N.
Affiliations
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
  • Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute (AU)
  • Curtin University (AU)
Corresponding author
Brakenridge, C. L.
Venue
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Published
2016-11-04
Volume
13
Issue
1
Pages
115-115
ISSN
1479-5868 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2548170855
Cited by
109
References
58
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 1
FWCI
9.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Monash University Research Portal (Monash University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Own your potential (DEAKIN) (submittedVersion)
  • eSpace (Curtin University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • National Heart Foundation of Australia (100216)
  • Office Ergonomics Research Committee
  • Lendlease
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (1019980, 108029)
  • Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program
  • Australian Postgraduate Award
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
Keywords
sitting time, office workers, wearable activity trackers, organizational support, workplace health promotion, real-time feedback, posture, standing time, stepping, prolonged sitting, step count, manager support, sedentary behavior, workplace interventions
MeSH terms
Fitness Trackers, Adult, Feedback, Female, Health Promotion, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Occupations, Posture, Surveys and Questionnaires, Work, Walking, Occupational Health, Treatment Outcome, Workplace, Monitoring, Ambulatory, Young Adult, Actigraphy, Sedentary Behavior

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