Associations of device-measured sitting, standing, and stepping time with informal face-to-face interactions at work

OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study examined the interrelationships between workplace movement (sitting, standing, and stepping), availability of discussion space, and face-to-face (FTF) interactions between workers. METHODS: Desk-based workers (n=221) wore an activity monitor for seven days and self-reported their weekly frequency of FTF interactions and discussion space availability. Negative binomial regression models examined behavioral and spatial factors associated with the frequency of FTF interactions. RESULTS: Adjusted for potential confounders, each one SD increment in time spent sitting, standing, stepping, and discussion space availability was associated with 20% lower (p=0.004), 19% higher (p=0.003), 6% higher (p=0.16), and 11% higher (p=0.26) frequency of FTF interactions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Lower workplace sitting was often linked to reduced risk of chronic diseases. Our findings suggest that less sitting at work may have additional benefits of increasing informal interactions between office workers.