Projects
SUFHA - Stand Up For Healthy Aging
This project was awarded seed funding from the FAZER+ of the Universidade Lusófona.
Title
The impact of introducing sit-stand desks in the workplace for a healthier transition to retirement: a randomized controlled trial in sedentary adults
Principal investigator
Pedro Júdice (CIDEFES)
Website
Other investigators
- Marlene Nunes Silva (CIDEFES)
- António Labisa Palmeira (CIDEFES)
- Patrícia Cativo Viegas (COW)
- Jorge Oliveira (HEI-Lab)
- Isabel Figueiredo dos Santos (HEI-Lab)
- Filipe Luz (HEI-Lab)
- Sara Pereira (CIDEFES)
- Inês Santos (CIDEFES)
- Sabrina Teno (CIDEFES)
Timeline
24 months
Abstract
A new body of evidence has been recognizing the existence of a paradigm shift in understanding chronic disease risk, in which sedentary behaviour and related
accumulation patterns, independent of physical activity levels, has detrimental
health effects. Recent international recommendations started incorporating this
new paradigm shift that we envision, but no specific recommendations are yet
available, and one reason for the absence of recommendations for sedentary
behaviour is the scarce evidence based on prospective and randomized controlled trials (RCT).
The rationale for this project is within the societal challenge (Portugal 2020) of
healthy aging. Additionally, the transition to retirement has been shown to be a
critical period of life that requires adults to reorganise their normal routines. This project aims to help them to do the best choices by incorporating healthier habits in their final working years with the expectation that those habits can help them to maintain a lower level of sedentariness in a posterior period in which they will be without the sit-standing desks, as it will happen during the retirement period.
1) Our main goal will be to conduct a 6-month randomized controlled trial, to
investigate the impact of introducing sit-stand desks in adult workers’ sedentary patterns.
2) We also aim to examine the effects of using these sit-stand desks while at work for 6 months on body composition, dietary intake, health-related outcomes, productivity, and quality of life.
3) Finally, we aim to understand if the healthier habits concerning the patterns of sedentary time accumulation during the intervention can be maintained in a
3 month follow up period, without the sit-stand desks, in comparison to a control group.
