Student Perception on Acceptability and Usefulness of Sit-Stand Desks in College Classrooms

TY - CHAP

T1 - Student Perception on Acceptability and Usefulness of Sit-Stand Desks in College Classrooms

AU - Sengupta, Arijit K.

AU - Kuilan, Abiola

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023. Published by AHFE Open Access. All rights reserved.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Given that full-time college students spend more than 15 hours per week sitting in a college classrooms, it may be an ideal setting for the implementation of Sit-Stand Desk (SSD) to reduce their sedentary time. Graduate and undergraduate college students (N = 178) were randomly recruited to complete the survey. Participants’ mean(sd) age was 22.4(4.7) years old, 63% identified as male, 33% identified as female while 4% were of the other gender class. Among the participants, 44.3% of students self-reported to be overweight or obese according to their BMI, 76% students led an inactive lifestyle, and 63.5% students did not meet physical activity guidelines. Students’ perceived acceptability of SSD in classrooms was strongly favorable. Over 70% students favored the opportunity of having a SSD in classrooms and most of the students (85%-99%) predicted either no change or positive change (get better) in all academic factors (focus, restlessness, attention, engagement and boredom) and health factors (physical health, fatigue and back pain), if SSD is introduced in classrooms. Collectively, the findings of this study strongly support the acceptability of introducing SSD in college classrooms. The results of this study should be useful for policy makers regarding classroom designs. Future studies are needed to test the viability and efficacy of introducing sit-stand desks in college classrooms.

AB - Given that full-time college students spend more than 15 hours per week sitting in a college classrooms, it may be an ideal setting for the implementation of Sit-Stand Desk (SSD) to reduce their sedentary time. Graduate and undergraduate college students (N = 178) were randomly recruited to complete the survey. Participants’ mean(sd) age was 22.4(4.7) years old, 63% identified as male, 33% identified as female while 4% were of the other gender class. Among the participants, 44.3% of students self-reported to be overweight or obese according to their BMI, 76% students led an inactive lifestyle, and 63.5% students did not meet physical activity guidelines. Students’ perceived acceptability of SSD in classrooms was strongly favorable. Over 70% students favored the opportunity of having a SSD in classrooms and most of the students (85%-99%) predicted either no change or positive change (get better) in all academic factors (focus, restlessness, attention, engagement and boredom) and health factors (physical health, fatigue and back pain), if SSD is introduced in classrooms. Collectively, the findings of this study strongly support the acceptability of introducing SSD in college classrooms. The results of this study should be useful for policy makers regarding classroom designs. Future studies are needed to test the viability and efficacy of introducing sit-stand desks in college classrooms.

KW - BMI

KW - College classrooms

KW - Sedentary

KW - Sit-stand desks

KW - Student acceptability

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105031600811

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105031600811#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.54941/ahfe1003961

DO - 10.54941/ahfe1003961

M3 - Chapter

T3 - Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics International

SP - 14

EP - 19

BT - Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics International

PB - AHFE International

ER -