Research Design Connection: More On Sit-Stand Work

by Sally Augustin, Ph.D. | August 3rd, 2015

Callaghan and his colleagues investigated the repercussions of sitting and standing while working. They report that people who have access to sit-stand desks need to be trained in their use to benefit from them: “Changing exposures from sitting to standing does not eliminate these issues [negative health and musculoskeletal issues for workers], as evidence indicates prolonged standing also induces problems. Reducing seated exposure and rotating frequently between sitting and standing has been shown to result in positive health outcomes, reduced discomfort and increased work performance. Implementing sit-stand workstations has promise to mitigate work-related health issues, if the users are provided with training that includes accommodations for individual work patterns and preferences.” Jack Callaghan, Diana De Carvalho, Kaitlin Gallagher, Thomas Karakolis, and Erika Nelson-Wong. 2015. “Is Standing the Solution to Sedentary Office Work?” Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly [sic] of Human Factors Applications, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 20-24. Sally Augustin, …