Occupational Sitting Among University Employees

Background and Objective: One of the consequences of modern civilization is an increase in sedentary behavior. Sedentary behavior is more common in the workplace than other forms of physical activity. Prolonged sitting without time to stand or walk can have a direct or indirect impact on people's health and lives. The purpose of this study was to investigate occupational sitting among university employees in Kermanshah province, in the west of Iran.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among ۷۰۱university employees from May to June ۲۰۲۱ in Kermanshah province. For data collection, a checklistconsisting of demographic variables along with occupational sitting, and physical activity questionnaire was utilized. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between occupational sitting time (hours per week) and related factors.Results: In a working day, the mean (standard deviation) time spent on sedentary activity (sitting) was ۴۰۳.۲۵ (۱۹۵.۴۶) minutes, ۸۱.۷۹ (۷۲.۴۲) minutes on activity light (standing), ۵۳.۴۰ (۴۶.۲۴) minutes on moderate activities (walking), and ۱۳.۸۴ (۲۴.۳۹) minutes on vigorous activities (hard physical work). A significant association was observed between occupational sitting and working time (hours) (P < ۰.۰۰۱) and participants who had decreased physical activity in contrast to those who had no change in their physical activity during COVID-۱۹ (P= ۰.۰۱).Conclusion: The study highlights the large proportion of time university employees spend on sedentary activities. As a result, universities are critical places to promote physical activity and implement workplace interventions to reduce occupational sitting.

کلیدواژه ها:

Sedentary behavior ، Sitting ، University ، Employees ، Workplace health