Intervention Study on Break Activities and Workers´ Psychological and Physiological Health & Performance

NCT ID: NCT02124837

Last Updated: 2014-12-02

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 200 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2014-04-30
• Study Completion Date: 2014-11-30

Brief Summary

The objective of this research project is to understand and to improve workers´ recovery from work stress. Although recovery during lunch breaks is the most common within-workday break, it has received only minor research attention. Therefore, we will study whether lunch breaks including a relaxation session or exposure to nature have more favorable outcomes than usually spent lunch breaks concerning: a) recovery processes, b) health, c) well-being, d) job performance and e) creativity. We approach recovery by combining the theoretical frameworks of work and environmental psychology.

Detailed Description

We conduct an intervention study in a sample of 200 knowledge-workers who engage in different lunch break activities for 15-minutes per day, two weeks in a row. We randomly assign participants to three experimental conditions: 1) exposure to nature, 2) relaxation and 3) control group (lunch break spent as usual). Online questionnaires before and after the intervention assess long term changes regarding recovery processes and the major outcome variables. Before, during and after the intervention, SMS and paper-pencil questionnaires measure the same constructs four times a day with fewer items. We also measure blood pressure and collect saliva samples to map cortisol excretion across the intervention period. A timed experimental task (i.e., the Alternative Uses Task) is used to examine differences in creativity between the three groups after the intervention period.

By combining the knowledge of work and environmental psychology about recovery and restorative experiences, by merging three recovery perspectives (settings, processes, and outcomes) and by using data triangulation, we produce valid results that broaden our view on mechanisms underlying recovery and enhance our understanding about their links to psychological, behavioural and physiological outcomes, resulting in a more comprehensive picture of work stress recovery in general.

Conditions

Exposure to Nature During Lunch Breaks; Relaxation Exercises During Lunch Breaks

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Control group

Participants continue their normal lunch routine.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Relaxation exercise during lunch break

Participants perform relaxation exercises during each lunch break during work for a period of 2 working weeks.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Relaxation during lunch break

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Park walk during lunch break

Participants go for a walk in the closest park nearby each lunch break during work for a period of 2 working weeks.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Park walk during lunch break

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Interventions

Park walk during lunch break

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Relaxation during lunch break

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Being able to speak and understand Finnish language
• Paid work for at least 24 hours per week

Exclusion Criteria

• Shift work, highly irregular working hours
• Serious illness or allergies that prevent participants from walking in nature

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 70 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Tampere University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Jessica de Bloom

Dr.

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Ulla Kinnunen, Prof.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Tampere University

Kalevi Korpela, Prof.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Tampere University

Locations

University of Tampere

Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland

Countries

Finland

References

de Bloom J, Kinnunen U, Korpela K. Exposure to nature versus relaxation during lunch breaks and recovery from work: development and design of an intervention study to improve workers' health, well-being, work performance and creativity. BMC Public Health. 2014 May 22;14:488. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-488.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 24885178 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

257682SA

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id