None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Physical inactivity is one of the major causes of many chronic preventable diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is a growing understanding that low energy activity or sedentary behaviour and breaks in sedentary time are also independently linked to cardiometabolic risk factors. Furthermore, in the “technological” age, occupational physical activity has reduced. Currently, it is estimated that office workers spend approximately 75% of their working hours sedentary (sitting) and are therefore at risk of many of the adverse health consequences associated with prolonged sedentary behaviour. Workplace activity intervention programmes have focussed on increasing moderate/vigorous physical activity typically by encouraging walking before and after work or during breaks. To date, there is no research that has examined the effect of modifying office work to incorporate short bouts of light intensity physical activity and encouraging breaks in sedentary behaviour. Aims 1) To assess if a participatory work-based programme to encourage incidental and light intensity physical activity can reduce sedentary time of office workers 2) To assess if a participatory work task focussed intervention to promote reduced sustained sedentary time and increased incidental activity is more effective at reducing sedentary time than interventions focussed on physical activity in discretionary time or an office workstation ergonomics intervention 3) To assess if changes that result from a participatory work-based intervention programme are sustained 3 months following the intervention 4) To determine if there is a relationship between participatory workplace health programmes and musculoskeletal pain and job satisfaction
Interventions
All participants will be involved in one of three workplace based interventions of 12 weeks duration. Prior to the intervention participants will attend 2 structured workplace meetings each of 45-60 minutes duration with the members of their intervention group. At the first meeting, the participants will be presented with information on the important health implications of office work and discuss potential changes they could make around the focus of their intervention. At the second meeting, app
All participants will be involved in one of three workplace based interventions of 12 weeks duration. Prior to the intervention participants will attend 2 structured workplace meetings each of 45-60 minutes duration with the members of their intervention group. At the first meeting, the participants will be presented with information on the important health implications of office work and discuss potential changes they could make around the focus of their intervention. At the second meeting, approximately 2 weeks after the first meeting, participants will discuss ideas for change, develop the strategies and rate their ease of implementation and likely effect, again with the assistance of a facilitator. Work groups will then be given 4-6 weeks to organise the implementation of their chosen strategies including getting organisational approval. At this point the 12 week intervention period will be deemed to have begun. There will be 2 intervention groups and an 'active' control group which will develop interventions in line with their focus as listed below: (1) Work task modification focus to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity. For example, provision of an ‘active workstation’ which is an electronic height adjustable desk that is connected to a treadmill or exercise bike enabling participants to ‘walk and work’. Other interventions may include changing default printers to a more distant location or walking to communicate with colleagues rather than emailing - to encourage incidental activity during work tasks in the workplace. (2) Discretionary time focus to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity. For example walking during work breaks (lunch/coffee) and before and after work. Participants in this group may be provided with a pedometer for use in a ‘steps challenge’. Other interventions may include promotion of active transport, groups exercise classes or lunchtime walking groups. (3) 'Active' control focussed on office workstation ergonomics review and modification. For example, revision of workstation set up and the introduction to ‘active sitting’, a sitting technique that encourages trunk muscle activity while sitting. Participants may be provided with an ‘air cushion’ that facilitates active sitting.
Sponsors
Curtin University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Office based workers working 4 or more days per week, for 6 or more hours each work day
Exclusion criteria
Physical or psychological impairments that would interfere with their ability to participate in the trial, for example being wheelchair bound
Outcome results
None listed