Last updated on 13-1-2025 by Laïla Boulbayem
Why do we study sedentary behaviour at work?
- Sitting at work for extended periods of time is unhealthy because it reduces overall physical activity levels, slows down the metabolism, and may lead to poor circulation. This inactivity increases the risk of developing serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and musculoskeletal problems like back and neck pain.
- Excessive sedentary time at work can lead to fatigue, poor posture, and decreased physical well-being, which may negatively impact work performance and productivity over time.
- Taking regular breaks from sitting, such as standing or walking every 30 minutes, can help counteract these negative effects, improve circulation, and boost productivity.
- Studying sedentary behaviour, including the impact of sitting time and the benefits of interrupting it, is crucial for creating effective workplace health policies.
How do we do it?
- Sedentary behaviour at work was examined using a self-report questionnaire, which included the following two questions:
1. On average, over the last 7 days, how much time per day have you spent sitting at work?
- Respondents were asked to select one of the following categories: ‘Less than 2 hours per day’, ‘2 to 3 hours per day’, ‘3 to 4 hours per day’, ‘4 to 5 hours per day’, ‘5 to 6 hours per day’, ‘6 to 7 hours per day’, ‘7 to 8 hours per day’, ‘More than 8 hours’.
- This was recategorized as ‘Less than 2 hours per day’, ‘Between 2 – 5 hours per day’, ‘Between 5 – 7 hours per day’, ‘More than 7 hours per day’.
- To indicate a high amount of sitting time at work, the cut-off point of 7 hours per day or more was chosen. People who stop sitting at work less than twice an hour were analysed in particular, as they do not comply with the recommendation to stop sitting every 30 minutes.
2. On a normal working day, how many times do you get up per hour while working in a seated position?
- Respondents could indicate how many times they stood up: ‘0’, ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘4’, ‘5’ or ‘6 or more’ times.
- This was categorized as ‘0 – 1 breaks/hour’, ‘2-4 breaks/hour’, ‘5 or more breaks/hour’.
Key results
23% of adult women and 26% of adult men report sitting for seven hours or more per day at work.
A higher percentage of young adult men stand up less than twice per hour at work compared to women in the same age group.
A lower percentage of middle-aged men interrupt their sitting time at work fewer than two times per hour compared to young adult men.
The proportion of adults sitting for seven hours per day or more at work is lower among adults with lower educational levels compared to adults with mid- and high-educational levels.
In Flanders, the proportion of adults sitting seven hours or more on a working day is higher compared to Wallonia.
Age and sex
Proportion of the working adult population sitting for seven hours or more per day at work, by sex and age, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- 23% of adult women and 26% of adult men report sitting seven hours or more per day at work.
- There is no difference in sitting for seven hours or more per day at work between young adults (aged 18 to 39 years) and middle-aged adults (aged 40 to 64 years), nor between women and men.
Distribution of the working adult population by sitting time at work, by age and sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- Among young adult men (aged 18 to 39 years), 31% report sitting for less than 2 hours per day at work, 18% report sitting between 2 to 5 hours per day, 22% sit between 5 to 7 hours per day and 29% sit for 7 hours or more per day. In comparison, young women report the following numbers, respectively 34%, 16%, 27% and 23%.
- Among middle-aged adult men (aged 40 to 64 years), 25% report sitting for less than 2 hours per day at work, 26% sit between 2 to 5 hours per day, 25% sit between 5 to 7 hours per day and 24% sit for 7 hours or more per day. For middle-aged women, this corresponds to 32%, 21%, 24% and 23%, respectively.
Proportion of the working adult population taking fewer than two breaks per hour to interrupt their sitting time at work, by age and sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- The proportion of young adult men (aged 18 to 39 years) interruption their sitting time less than two times per hour at work is higher (40%) compared to young adult women (22%) and compared to middle-aged adult men (aged 40 – 64 years; 24%). This indicates a lower tendency among young adult men to incorporate standing or movement into their work routine compared to young adult women and to middle-aged adult men.
- There is no difference in interrupting sitting time at work between women and men in the middle-age group (aged 40 to 64 years).
Distribution of the working adult population by the number of breaks per hour interrupting their sitting time at work, by age and sex, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- 40% of young adult men have 0 or 1 interruption(s) per hour in their sitting time at work, which is a higher proportion compared to young adult women (22%) and middle-aged men (23%).
- Additionally, 33% of young adult men interrupt their sitting time 2 to 4 times per hour, and 27% have 5 or more interruption per hour. For middle-aged men, these figures are 35% and 42%, respectively.
- For young adult women, 22% report 0 to 1 interruption(s), 37% report 2 to 4 interruptions per hour, and 41% report 5 or more interruptions per hour. In middle-aged women, the respective figures are 28%, 27% and 45%.
Educational level
Proportion of the working adult population sitting for seven hours or more per day at work, by educational level, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- The proportion of individuals sitting seven hours or more per day at work is lower for adults with lower educational levels (17%) compared to individuals with medium (26%) and high (35%) educational levels. There is no substantial difference in the proportion of sitting more than seven hours or more per day for adults with mid- vs. high-educational levels.
Distribution of the working adult population by sitting time at work, by educational level, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- The proportion of adults with low-educational levels who sit for less than two hours per day at work is higher (50%) compared to adults with mid- (20%) and high-educational levels (14%).
- Conversely, the proportion of adults with low-educational levels who sit for seven hours or more per day at work is lower (14%) compared to adults with mid- (27%) and high-educational levels (35%).
Proportion of the working adult population taking fewer than two breaks per hour to interrupt their sitting time at work, by educational level, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- The proportion of adults with low-educational levels reporting fewer than two breaks per hour to interrupt their sitting time at work is lower (22%) compared to the adults with high-educational levels (33%). There is no substantial difference with those with mid-educational levels (29%).
Distribution of the working adult population by the number of breaks per hour interrupting their sitting time at work, by educational level, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- The educational level is calculated at the household level by considering the highest diploma obtained by: (i) the respondents or their partner for adults (aged 18 years and above), or (ii) the father and mother (or carer, if applicable) for children and adolescents (aged 3 to 17 years). However, for simplicity, we refer to the educational level of individuals rather than the educational level of their households.
- 22% of adults with low-educational levels report 0 to 1 interruption(s) during their sitting time per hour on a working day. 30% report 2 to 4 interruptions per hour, and 48% report 5 or more interruptions per hour.
- For adults with mid-educational level, 29% report 0 to 1 interruption(s), 34% report 2 to 4 interruptions per hour, and 38% report 5 or more interruptions per hour.
- A similar trend is observed among adults with high-educational levels, where 33% report 0 to 1 interruptions per hour, 35% report 2 to 4 interruptions per hour, and 32% report 5 or more interruptions per hour.
Region
Proportion of the working adult population sitting for seven hours or more per day at work, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Adjusted = results weighted for season, age, sex and socioeconomic status, and adjusted according to age and sex based on linear regression model (using the Belgian population of 2022-2023 as reference).
- The proportion of adults sitting for more than seven hours on a working day is higher in Flanders (27%) compared to Wallonia (20%).
Distribution of the working adult population by sitting time at work, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- In Flanders, 28% of adults spend less than 2 hours sitting on a working day, 20% spend between 2 to 5 hours, 25% spend between 5 to 7 hours, and 27% spend 7 hours or more.
- In Brussels, similar results are observed: 23% of adults spend less than 2 hours sitting on a working day, 22% spend between 2 to 5 hours, 27% spend between 5 to 7 hours, and 28% spend 7 hours or more.
- In Wallonia, 36% of adults spend less than 2 hours sitting on a working day, 24% spend between 2 to 5 hours, 22% spend between 5 to 7 hours, and 18% spend 7 hours or more.
Proportion of the working adult population taking fewer than two breaks per hour to interrupt their sitting time at work, by region, Belgium: 2022-2023
- Adjusted = results weighted for season, age, sex and socioeconomic status, and adjusted according to age and sex based on linear regression model (using the Belgian population of 2022-2023 as reference).
- There are no meaningful regional differences in the proportion of adults interrupting their sitting time fewer than two times per hour.
Distribution of the working adult population by the number of breaks/hour interrupting the sitting time at work, by region, Belgium, 2022-2023
- Crude = results weighted for season, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
- In Flanders, 29% of adults report 0 to 1 interruption(s) per hour at work, 32% report 2 to 4 interruptions per hour, and 39% report 5 or more interruptions per hour.
- In Brussels, 31% of adults report interrupting their sitting time at work 0 to 1 times per hour, 41% report 2 to 4 interruptions per hour, and 28% report 5 interruptions or more per hour.
- In Wallonia, 26% of adults report 0 to 1 interruption(s) per hour at work, 31% report 2 to 4 interruptions per hour, and 43% report 5 or more interruptions per hour.
Please cite this page as: Sciensano. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour in adults: Sedentary behaviour at work, Food Consumption Survey 2022-2023, December 2024, Brussels, Belgium, https://www.sciensano.be/en/results-national-food-consumption-survey-2022-2023/physical-activity-and-sedentary-behaviour-adults/sedentary-behaviour-work