SynthesisThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2025
The effect of computer prompt in breaks of sedentary behaviour among office workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The independent effects of isolated high-intensity interval training modalities on body composition and adiposity indices in overweight or obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Pooled it
- Psychosocial Correlates of Sedentary Behavior Reduction Readiness Relevant to Zero-Time Exercise Among Chinese Adults in Sedentary Occupations: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2026Observational
- Digital communication tools used to promote healthy lifestyles: an overview of reviews from the BRIDGE project.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Review
- A three group randomised controlled trial on effectiveness of mobile application based performance feedback interventions on cardiovascular risk factors among Nigerian university staff.Discover public health · 2026Article
- Sex-Stratified Genetic Analyses Mapping the Influences of Sedentary Behaviors and Physical Activity on Female Reproductive Health.Research (Washington, D.C.) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundProlonged sitting time in the workplace constitutes a significant portion of waking hours. Sedentary behaviour is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and all-cause mortality. Interventions to reduce workplace sitting, such as health apps, height-adjustable desks, and active breaks, have shown relative effectiveness in improving health outcomes. Among these, computer prompt interventions represent a simple and scalable strategy that can remind workers to take breaks and reduce sedentary behaviour. This study evaluates the effectiveness of computer prompt interventions to reduce sitting at work compared to no intervention or combined strategies.
methodsPrimary studies were searched in PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, Scopus, and CENTRAL of the Cochrane Library. The search was conducted until December 2024. Keywords included terms like "sedentary behaviour," "computer prompts," "sitting time," and "office workers." Only randomized controlled trials (individual or cluster) involving desk-based workers aged 18 or older that evaluated computer prompt software were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool (RoB2). Mean differences with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for sitting time and secondary outcomes. Analyses were performed using RevMan and R software, and GRADE methodology was applied to assess the certainty of evidence.
resultsFrom 17,880 records, 18 studies involving 1164 office workers were included in the analysis. Ten studies focused exclusively on computer prompts, while 8 studies implemented combined strategies (e.g., computer prompts plus sit-to-stand desks). The median intervention length was 8 weeks, ranging from one to 24 weeks. Studies using only computer prompts included breaks lasting from 1 to 10 min every 30 min up to an hour. Combined strategies included breaks from 6 to 30 min every 30 min up to 3 h. According to objective measurements, the meta-analysis showed a significant reduction of 12.46 min/workday in sitting time (95% CI: -18.12, -6.80) and a significant increase of 1029.99 steps/workday (95% CI: 815.97, 1244). Secondary outcomes included work-related, musculoskeletal, and cardiometabolic outcomes favouring computer prompts but not statistically significant. The certainty of evidence for primary outcomes is rated low to moderate according to GRADE.
conclusionsComputer prompt software interventions show effectiveness in reducing sitting time among office workers. However, more long-term prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to accurately determine the effectiveness of computer prompts on various work- and health-related outcomes.
trial registrationThe review protocol was registered in the Prospero database (CRD42021287870).
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.