Table 2 Main questions used in the semi-structured interviews (examples of prompt questions are in italics)
Introductory questions | To start, could you please briefly tell me a bit about your role, including the types of tasks you do on a typical day? |
Is your job predominately desk-based? | |
Do many staff in your organisation have predominately desk-based jobs? (managers) | |
Current workplace activity | Is your desk adjustable to allow you to move from a sitting to a standing posture? |
Does your workplace provide staff with desks that are adjustable to enable them to move from a sitting to a standing posture? (managers) | |
If so, what are the criteria for getting one of these desks? | |
How satisfied are you with the proportion of time you spend sitting, standing and moving in the workplace? | |
Barriers and facilitators to reducing workplace sitting | Thinking about your current job and the existing policies and procedures within your workplace, can you identify anything that would make it difficult for you to reduce how much time you spent sitting at work? (employees) |
Does the workplace culture influence how much time you spend sitting or how often you take breaks? | |
Thinking about the sorts of jobs that people do and the existing policies and procedures within your organisation can you identify anything that would make it difficult for staff to reduce how much time they spend sitting at work? (managers) | |
Does the physical environment, such as access to furniture and the facilities, influence how much time staff spend sitting? | |
Can you suggest any way that your job could be altered to assist you to sit less and move more throughout the day? (employees only) | |
Are there any tasks that you could perform away from your desk? | |
Strategies to reduce workplace sitting | Can you please tell me about any strategies your organisation has implemented that encourage workers to move more and sit less during the workday? |
Are you aware of any other strategies that people in your workplace might be able to use to reduce sitting time at work? For example: -Standing or walking meetings -Computer prompts to reminder you to take a break -Walking to communicate with a co-worker Are these strategies that you have mentioned likely to be broadly feasible and acceptable in your workplace? | |
Which of these strategies would be most/least likely to be feasible? | |
Productivity | I am now interested to know whether you think these strategies would have any impact on productivity within your workplace? |
In particular, do you think these would affect: -Task completion and work flow -Communication -Collaboration | |
Organisational influences | What level of priority do you think your organisation places on reducing sitting time at work? |
Do you think there should be less or more priority given to reducing sitting time? | |
How important do you think it is for employees to have “permission” from management to break up prolonged sitting or reduce their sitting time? |