Comparison of Interventions to Promote Health in Workers

NCT ID: NCT01484834

Last Updated: 2017-08-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 190 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2011-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2011-11-30

Brief Summary

The goal of this research was to investigate different intervention strategies in the workplace and their impact on quality of life of workers from companies in the city of Londrina, Parana, Brazil.

The interventions were composed by exercise in the workplace and educational interventions.

Detailed Description

The workplace has special features about human behaviors. Studies (Shepard 1996, Pratt 2008) has shown that workers participate of this kind of health promotion programs for various reasons: One reason is the convenience of doing something without having to look for it; another reason is group support, many workers who share difficulties due to their working demands can find support in each other, so that they could change health behavior. Furthermore there are patterns of formal and informal communication that can contribute to help more people to become healthier making their environment better. Finally, the norms of a corporate behavior can unite the group of workers seeking same objectives.

Additionally the literature has shown that adults increased workload, job insecurity and pressure to perform tasks (Sparks 1997). These facts has been shown that workplace is different from community based interventions and leisure interventions.

The outcomes proposed to study are different from other studies since the interventions focus changes in behaviors. Sedentary behavior has shown to have 23% of deaths from major chronic disease (WHO 2002).

As the populations rises around the world and with the prolonged life expectancies, the number of people with chronic diseases will raise (WHO 2006). By having positive changes in health behavior the costs of public health can be reduced. Studying different types of interventions and testing its efficacy in different places can help the policy makers to create healthier environments.

There are strategies being developed in the workplace, but its efficacy is being challenged. There are some researches that show no evidence to prove the continuity of these interventions and there are evidences proving the opposite, positive changes in clinical outcomes as diabetes, blood pressure and elevated blood cholesterol. In addition some measures as BMI, anthropometric, fitness level have shown good association as prediction of development of chronic disease with low cost (Dishman 2004).

Conditions

Health Behavior

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Exercise and Education

Company A received intervention of exercise in the workplace, posters with tips on health and quality of life computer software. The interventions with physical exercise in the workplace, were performed in the morning shift and had duration of three months with 15 minutes each and were applied three times per week every other day. In order to keep the workers motivated and participating in the exercise in the workplace, the sessions were very varied, using broomstick, latex tubes, exercises in pairs, massage, sitting exercises and relaxation on mats.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Exercise and Education

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Exercise were prescribed three times a week with duration of fifteen minutes for three months.

Educational Intervention were composed by a quality of life computer software and poster with tips on health behaviors

Exercise

The intervention with physical exercise in the workplace, were performed in the morning shift and had duration of three months with 15 minutes each and were applied three times per week every other day. In order to keep the workers motivated and participating in the exercise in the workplace, the sessions were very varied, using broomstick, latex tubes, exercises in pairs, massage, sitting exercises and relaxation on mats.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Exercise

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Exercise were prescribed three times a week with duration of fifteen minutes for three months.

Educational Intervention

This company received a quality of life software and poster intervention with tips on health lifestyle. The posters were printed in A3 paper and eight of them were put up per month in different parts of the companies (near water fountains, rest places, cafeterias, near the restrooms and change rooms). The used messages, both by the posters and the software were basedon scientific evidence related to quality of life and health

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Educational Intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This company received a quality of life software and poster intervention with tips on health lifestyle. The posters were printed in A3 paper and eight of them were put up per month in different parts of the companies (near water fountains, rest places, cafeterias, near the restrooms and change rooms). The used messages, both by the posters and the software were basedon scientific evidence related to quality of life and health

Control Company

No intervention

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Control Company

Intervention Type: OTHER

No intervention was applied for the participants of this group

Interventions

Exercise and Education

Exercise were prescribed three times a week with duration of fifteen minutes for three months.

Educational Intervention were composed by a quality of life computer software and poster with tips on health behaviors

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Exercise

Exercise were prescribed three times a week with duration of fifteen minutes for three months.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Educational Intervention

This company received a quality of life software and poster intervention with tips on health lifestyle. The posters were printed in A3 paper and eight of them were put up per month in different parts of the companies (near water fountains, rest places, cafeterias, near the restrooms and change rooms). The used messages, both by the posters and the software were basedon scientific evidence related to quality of life and health

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Control Company

No intervention was applied for the participants of this group

Intervention Type: OTHER

Other Intervention Names

Worksite interventions; Physical activity at the workplace; Worksite interventions; Physical activity at the workplace; Worksite interventions; Physical activity at the workplace

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria The inclusion criteria for participation of these study were never participated of and quality of life and health intervention program at work and had an interest in participating in the study. Included workers ≥ 18years who had to work in the office position, sitting at the computer most of the work shift.

Exclusion criteria: temporary workers and freelancers.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Antonio Jose Grande

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Antonio J Grande, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba

Locations

Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba

Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

Countries

Brazil

Other Identifiers

UMetodistaPiracicaba-2011

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id