Investigating the Relationship between Physiological Stress and Office Workstation Design: A Systematic Literature Review

Purpose: This study aims to explore the link between workstation design and physiological stress among office workers through a systematic literature review. Theoretical frameworks such as Neuroergonomics (Dehais et al., 2020), the James-Lange Theory of Emotion (Fehr & Stern., 1970) and Embodiment theories (Magnon et al., 2018) offer valuable perspectives to evaluate the relationship between workstation design and physiological stress, potentially mediated by workstation-associated physiological motor processes, posture and ergonomics.
Methods: For this systematic literature review, the PRISMA guidelines were used. Reviewed papers were searched in Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases, using keywords associated with ‘office, workstation design and physiological stress’. Physiological stress measurements are based on widely accepted bio and clinical markers, such as heart rate variability (HRV), cortisol secretion and blood pressure. Papers were limited to primary research, published between 1980 and 2024 and written in English.

Findings: Research indicates poor ergonomic workstation design, typified by un-adjustable furniture or poor ergonomic-employee fit, is linked to an increase in muscle tension and poor posture associated with increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and heightened cardiovascular reactivity, which are also shared biomarkers of stress. Conversely, ergonomic workstations with adjustable features, such as sit-stand desks and workstation designs that promote movement, show cardiovascular, ambulatory and cortisol reactivity improvements. In addition, limited but exciting findings suggest that the angular positioning of hips, knees and torso in relation to one another may mediate physiological stress effects through simulating reclining and restoration stances. These findings suggest that workstations encouraging physical activity and movement may reduce physiological stress, potentially strengthening the nervous and cardiovascular systems and building subsequent resilience.

Originality: The originality of this paper lies in being the first systematic literature review to explore the relationship between workstation design and physiological stress. The significance of these findings is that they have the potential to enhance our understanding of the impact of workplace environmental design on the aetiology and development of physiological stress.