Exploring the views of desk-based office workers and their employers’ beliefs regarding strategies to reduce occupational sedentary behaviour, with an emphasis on technology-supported strategies

OBJECTIVE:
Employee and employer views regarding how technology-supported strategies can best meet their needs to reduce occupational sitting are not well known. This study explored target user and key stakeholder beliefs regarding strategies to reduce occupational sitting focusing on technology-supported approaches.

METHODS:
Nine focus groups and two interviews (employees, n=27; employers, n=19; board members, n=2) were conducted, transcribed and analysed thematically.

RESULTS:
The main barrier to reducing sitting was job-related tasks taking primary priority. Intervention designers should consider individual preferences, environmental factors, judgemental culture, productivity concerns and staff knowledge. Technology-supported strategies such as smartphone applications, computer software, wearables and emails were deemed to be useful tools to provide prompts and allow behavioural self-monitoring in an easily individualised manner.

CONCLUSIONS:
Technology-supported strategies were seen to be valuable approaches and might fruitfully be incorporated into future interventions to reduce sitting time.