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THE EFFECT OF A 12-MONTH STANDING WORKSTATION INTERVENTION ON BODY COMPOSITION

Abstract

Macy M. Naylor1, Madelyn J. Blackburn1, Larissa J. Boyd1, Jacilyn M. Olson1, & Melissa D. Powers1

1University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK

A reduction in sedentary behavior has been associated with improvements in body composition. Office-based employees often spend large quantities of time engaging in sedentary behavior which could have a negative impact on body composition. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of a sit-to-stand workstation (STS) affected body composition following a 12-month intervention. METHODS: Participants (N=31: 8 Male, 24 Female) of the study included volunteer staff and faculty members of the University of Central Oklahoma who were randomly assigned to a control group (CG; n=19, 4 male, 15 female) and an intervention group (IG; n=12, 4 male, 8 female). A STS was provided to the IG with participants being instructed to stand at least 2 hours every work day. Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure body fat (BF%), bone mineral density (BMD), lean tissue mass (LTM), fat mass (FM), and android fat (AF%), at baseline, 6-months, and 12-months of the intervention. The data were analyzed using repeated measurements with analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: The results from the pre, 6 month, and 12 month DXA scans can be viewed in Table 1. There were no outliers. No significant differences were found between groups on any measure (p>.05). Small, meaningful improvements in AF% were discovered based on effect size in both the IG (d=0.29) and CG (d=0.22) from pre- to post-test. CONCLUSION: Significant differences did not occur between the IG and CG, indicating that a more robust work intervention may be necessary to modify body composition in university faculty and staff. The range for all body composition values varied, which may have impacted scores. Future research may examine the effects of a standing workplace intervention on more readily modifiable risk factors.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This project was funded by the University of Central Oklahoma, Research and Sponsored Programs office.

Table 1.docx (13 kB)
Table 1

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