Table 2 Generalised recommendations for interventions based on interview with office workers

3.1

Social support (unspecified)

Participants need to be assured that they have the support of their management and colleagues and that they will not be judged or punished for standing or leaving their desk to perform physical activity. This should increase their confidence to embrace the idea of taking breaks from sitting while at work.

7.1

Prompts/cues

On-screen computer prompts could be provided to serve as a reminder to take breaks from sitting.

1.1

Goal setting (behaviour)

Set a goal for participants to reduce prolonged sitting.

5.1

Information about health consequences

Provide information about the health consequences of prolonged sitting.

12.1

Restructuring the physical environment

To make breaking up sitting easier for the participants without necessarily leaving their desk, active workstations, such as height-adjustable desks should be provided to counteract employees’ and employers’ concern of losing productive time while standing up.

12.5

Adding an object to the environment

6.1

Demonstration of the behaviour

Give detailed explanations on how to break up sitting time and demonstrate how to use equipment that is being provided, such as a height-adjustable desk or prompts.

4.1

Instruction on how to perform the behaviour

4.2

Information about antecedents

Advise to keep a record of sitting and of events taking place before sitting.

3.2

Social support (practical)

Appoint someone to support office workers to reduce their sitting and demonstrate different forms of activities that could be done in the workplace.

8.1

Behavioural practice/rehearsal

Encourage office workers to replace sitting with walking or standing meetings and consider having face-to-face meetings instead of communicating by emails or intercoms.

8.2

Behavioural substitution

8.3

Habit formation

8.4

Habit reversal

2.2

Feedback on behaviour

Feedback on sitting behaviour and progress should be provided to participants during the intervention to increase their motivation. This would enable them to review their action plans and goals.

12.2

Restructuring the social environment

Organise into clusters in such a way that participants are not isolated when given interventions to break up sitting. The set-up should be arranged such that they see other colleagues to promote support.

6.2

Social comparison

Ensure participants in the same office or cluster can take cues from their colleagues who may be taking regular breaks from sitting and compared changes in sitting time. Create a league table to share sitting data.

6.3

Information about others’ approval

Provide information about what others think of taking breaks from sitting. For instance, what they think about getting up by themselves to make a cup of tea instead of asking fellow colleagues to do this for them.

1.2

Problem solving

Participants should be encouraged to identify personal barriers to breaking up sitting and develop an action plan to overcome these barriers. For instance, getting up regularly for a drink or tea with a small cup instead of being served by colleagues or getting incentives or rewards for achieving goals.

1.4

Action planning

10.1

Material incentive (behaviour)

Encourage participants to reward themselves in the future if they have been able to achieve to their goals. Also inform participants that they will be recognised and verbally congratulate them for achieving their daily sitting goals. Promise to reward participants with vouchers if they reduce their sitting time.

10.2

Material reward (behaviour)

10.3

Non-specific reward

10.4

Social reward

10.5

Social incentive

10.8

Non-specific incentive

10.9

Incentive (outcome)

Self-reward

12.6

Body changes

Arrange physiotherapy or massage sessions for participants who have aching back or other parts of their body that is preventing them from reducing their sitting.

2.3

Self-monitoring of behaviour

Encourage participants to take notes of their daily postures at work or give a monitoring device that allows participants to track their sitting behaviour.

2.1

Monitoring of behaviour by others without feedback

Observe and record participants’ sitting behaviour without their knowledge.

9.1

Credible source

Present verbal, visual or written information about the consequences of prolonged sitting and benefits of breaking up sitting from researchers, government organisations or international bodies.

5.3

Information about social and environmental consequences

Provide information about how breaking up prolonged sitting has benefited office workers and other sets of people and the type of intervention provided.

5.6

Information about emotional

Inform the participants that excessive sitting can causes tiredness and lethargy whilst breaking up sitting may re-energise and increases concentration.

11.2

Reduce negative emotions

2.4

Self-monitoring of outcome(s) of behaviour

Advise the participants to rate their wellbeing, weight and general health regularly (daily, weekly, every 2 weeks etc) to see the outcomes of reducing sitting time.

4.4

Behavioural experiments

The participants can experiment with taking breaks from sitting to see how it impacts their mood, energy, etc.

15.1

Verbal persuasion about capability

Boost employees’ morale by assuring them that they are capable of breaking up their sitting and that they should not give room for any self-doubts.

15.2

Mental rehearsal of successful performance

Advise employees to imagine taking breaks from sitting at work.