Background: Sedentary behavior (SB) is an important public health concern. The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recognizes the importance of reducing SB due to health risks associated with prolonged SB. Adults working in desk-based occupations spend a considerable proportion of the workday sitting. Recent workplace programs have aimed to reduce SB through multilevel strategies. However, more information is needed regarding the factors that contribute to occupational SB. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of social cognitive theory (SCT) to explain occupational SB.

Methods: The study utilized a quantitative, cross-sectional design by administering an online questionnaire. Participants (n=250) included full-time staff at a large, public university in the south-central United States.

Results: Mean age was 42.68 (±10.95) years, average daily SB was 5.98 (±1.71) hours, and the majority of participants were female (79.6%) and White (91.9%). In model 1, 7.3% of the total variance in SB was accounted for by standing desk ownership, physical activity level, education, gender, and job classification, (p=0.001;R²=0.087). In model 2, SCT constructs led to a statistically significant R² increase of 0.07 (p<0.001;R²=0.157). However, self-efficacy was the only significant SCT construct (β=-.224;p=0.001).

Discussion: In addition to standing desk ownership, physical activity, and socio-demographic factors, findings from this study suggest that self-efficacy may be an important factor in explaining variation in occupational SB. Researchers and practitioners should consider employees’ self-efficacy when developing workplace strategies to target occupational SB. Future research should continue to explore the utility of SCT in understanding SB.