Undergraduate students (UGS) are highly sedentary, which may elevate their health risks. However, before the effectiveness of an undergraduate sedentary time (ST) intervention can be assessed, accurate and applicable measurement tools need to be identified. The overall purposes of this research program were to first, evaluate the validity of two weekly ST questionnaires compared with criterion data in homogenous samples of UGS (Studies 1 and 2); and second, to measure the effect of providing UGS with mobile standing desks for one-week (Study 3) and one-month (Study 4), while also exploring students’ perceptions about using the desks. Each study built on the findings of the study that came before it, with Studies 1 and 2, and Studies 3 and 4 presented together.
In Study 1, UGS wore the activPAL4TM for one week and then completed the PAST-WEEK-U (PWU). In Study 2, UGS wore the activPAL4TM for one week and simultaneously completed the NIGHTLY-WEEK-U (NWU). The agreement between the self-report and criterion measures were assessed via Bland-Altman plots. In Study 3, UGS were provided with a mobile standing desk for one week and their ST was measured using the activPAL4TM and NWU. In Study 4, UGS were provided with a mobile standing desk for one month and their ST was measured with an online version of the NWU. Semi-structured interviews (Study 3) and online opened-ended questions (Study 4) explored participants’ experiences with the desks.
The results of Studies 1 and 2 revealed that the NWU outperformed the PWU with much tighter limits of agreement (-1.75 to 2.17 vs. -5.38 to 5.55 hours), making it better suited for use in future intervention studies. In Studies 3 and 4, mobile standing desks were associated with a significant reduction in one-week (objective: p= 0.0045; self-report: p= 0.0005) and one-month (self-report: p=
This dissertation’s studies are valuable for future intervention research aimed at UGS ST, and may contribute to future health gains for an expanding and important population
