JRSM > Volume 101, Number 5 > Pp. 237-243

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A case–control study of seated immobility at work as a risk factor for venous thromboembolism

Jill West¹ Kyle Perrin² Sarah Aldington² Mark Weatherall³   Richard Beasley^1,,2,,4

¹ Capital & Coast District Health Board Wellington, New Zealand
² Medical Research Institute of New Zealand Wellington, New Zealand
³ University of Otago Wellington Wellington, New Zealand
⁴ University of Southampton Southampton, United Kingdom

Correspondence to: Professor Richard Beasley Richard.Beasley{at}mrinz.ac.nz

Objective To determine the relative risk of prolonged seated immobility at work in patients with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE).

Design A case–control study: cases and controls completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire to obtain information on risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE), including prolonged seated immobility at work. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between predicted variables and the probability of being a case or control.

Participants Cases were patients <65 years old attending the Wellington Hospital Outpatient VTE Clinic following hospital discharge for DVT and/or PE. Controls were patients <65 years old admitted to the Coronary Care Unit at Wellington Hospital.

Setting The Wellington Hospital Outpatient VTE Clinic and Coronary Care Unit.

Main outcome measures Odds ratio of VTE for prolonged seated immobility.

Results There were 97 cases (53 DVT, 29 PE, 15 DVT and PE), and 106 controls. In the multivariate analysis the odds ratio of VTE for prolonged seated immobility at work was 1.8 (95% CI 0.71–4.8). The maximum number of hours seated at work was associated with VTE, with the risk increasing by 10% per hour longer seated (odds ratio 1.1, 95% CI 1.0–1.2). The maximum number of hours seated at work without getting up was associated with VTE, with the risk increasing by 20% per hour longer seated (odds ratio 1.2, 95% CI 0.96–1.6).

Conclusions This study provides preliminary evidence that prolonged seated immobility at work may represent a risk factor for VTE.

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