Physical Activity and Occupational Sitting among Employees in a Research Institute in Vietnam

There has been an increasing burden of overweight, obesity, and non-communicable diseases in Vietnam in recent years. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study conducted to assess the occupational sitting and physical activity habits among employees in a research institute in Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was performed with 292 staff (113 males, and 179 females) currently working in a research institute in Hanoi, Vietnam. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) was used to assess physical activity habits of the employees in the previous typical week, and the Occupational Sitting and Physical Activity Questionnaire (OSPAQ) was applied to measure physical activities in the workplace during a typical working week. The study found that more than one-third of staff and researchers at the research institute did not meet the minimum physical activity level recommended by the World Health Organization. In terms of occupational sitting and physical activity, they spent 60% of their working hours on sitting, 20% standing, 16% walking, and 4% heavy labor. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females regarding occupational sitting and physical activity (p>0.05). The study found that the staff of the research institute spent their majority of working time sitting. These findings have important implications for workplace interventions aimed at reducing sedentary behavior and promoting physical activity, highlighting the need for policies and initiatives to encourage more standing, and walking in the workplace.