‘The End of Sitting’ in a public space: observations of spontaneous visitors

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Erwin M. Speklé¹  Hidde P. van der Ploeg²  Allard J. van der Beek²  Maaike A. Huysmans²  Lidewij R. Renaud² 

[1] Arbo Unie OHS, Diakenhuisweg 25, 2033, Haarlem, AP, The Netherlands;Department of Public and Occupational Health and Amsterdam Public Health research institute, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081, Amsterdam, BT, The Netherlands;

关键词: Sitting;    Office;    Landscape;    Visitors;    Upright;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-017-4971-7

 received in 2017-06-19, accepted in 2017-11-30,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSitting too much has been associated with negative health outcomes. ‘The End of Sitting’ is a newly developed office landscape that moves away from the traditional chair-desk setup. The landscape aims to reduce sitting time by offering a variety of (supported) standing positions. The aim of this study was to determine the usage of the landscape after being placed in the main entrance hall of the VU University in Amsterdam.MethodsWe observed the number of spontaneous visitors as well as the duration of visits, changes to another location within the landscape, and adopted postures. Using questionnaires reasons (not) to visit the landscape, perceived affordances of the landscape and associations with long-term use were determined.ResultsObserved numbers of visitors were relatively low and duration of visits were short, which seemed to indicate visitors were trying out the landscape. The majority of visitors were in an upright position, reflecting the designers’ intentions. Visitors indicated that long-term use would be pleasant to them.Conclusion‘The End of Sitting’ landscape received positive reactions but number of visits were limited in the few months that it was placed in the university main entrance hall. The landscape might be better suited for designated working or study spaces, for which it was originally intended. It might also be worth to explore the landscapes suitability for short stay environments, such as waiting rooms.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017