Traditional Chinese Medicine based intervention for reducing sedentariness and improving psychological well-being in office workers: a feasibility randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND

Sedentary behaviors (SBs) have been recognized as a risk factor for physical and mental health. This study primarily assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)-based sedentariness reduction intervention to reduce SBs among office workers and explored changes in SBs and health outcomes compared to a waitlist control group.

STUDY DESIGN

Feasibility randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

Thirty-eight office workers in Hong Kong, sitting over 5.5 h per workday prior to recruitment, were randomly assigned to a TCM-based intervention group (n = 19) or a waitlist control group (n = 19). The intervention included three workshops (on mind-body activities including dantian breathing, Baduanjin and stretching, acupressure related to stress management, and strategies to combat environmental factors related to SBs) over 2 weeks and another two-week period of assisted self-practice. Feasibility was based on recruitment, retention, adherence, assessment completion, adverse events, and acceptability. Intervention efficacy on sitting time at work was assessed using ActiGraph wGT3X-BT® at baseline (T1), after 4-week intervention (T2), and 4 weeks follow-up (T3). Other outcomes, including stress, quality of life, and sleep quality, were also explored.

RESULTS

The feasibility criteria of the study were all fulfilled. Rates of recruitment, retention, adherence, and assessment completion all exceeded 80%, and no adverse event was reported. Participants in the intervention group reported high satisfaction with the program. Preliminary data indicated a reduction in total sitting time in the intervention group compared to the control group, with medium effect size after intervention (mean change = -21.61 min, 95% CI: [-92.43, 4.64], Hedge's g = -0.627). Among participants in the intervention group, perceived stress was reduced from baseline to T2 (mean change = -3.05, 95% CI: [-4.94, -1.16], Hedge's g = -0.745). No meaningful differences were observed in other health outcomes within or between groups.

CONCLUSION

The TCM-based sedentariness reduction intervention demonstrated feasibility, high acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in reducing SBs of office workers. A full scale randomized controlled trial is needed for conclusive findings.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

https://www.chictr.org.cn/bin/home, identifier: ChiCTR2300079230.

Copyright © 2026 Wang, Lu, Li, Sun, Chang, Cheung and Tsang.