Abstract

Prolonged sitting is associated with increased chronic disease risks, making sit-stand desks a popular intervention to promote healthier behaviors among knowledge workers. While reminders can encourage desk usage, traditional notifications are often perceived as disruptive. We investigated how intelligent sit-stand desks can promote healthier behaviors with minimal disruption to productivity by understanding users' work, physical, and personal context. We conducted a 15-day observational study with knowledge workers (N=10), collecting data on their sit-stand desk usage and computer activities. Participants, on average, were more likely to stand during productive (Odds Ratio = 2.75) and interactive tasks (Odds Ratio = 2.27) than when they became distracted at work. However, posture switching did not consistently align with task switching. A periodic notification every 30min significantly increased standing time by 25.9min per day. Semi-structured interviews revealed strong task-specific standing preferences and needs for overall context awareness, underscoring the need for personalized interventions. We present design guidelines for context-aware, personalized sit-stand desks that support both health and productivity in knowledge work.

Key Findings

• Participants were more likely to stand during productive (OR = 2.75) and interactive (OR = 2.27) tasks than when distracted, but posture switching did not consistently align with task switching.
• A periodic notification every 30 minutes significantly increased standing time by 25.9 minutes per day.
• Interviews surfaced strong task-specific standing preferences and a need for context awareness, motivating personalized rather than one-size-fits-all interventions.

The version of record is available via DOI, and a preprint is on SSRN.