Mindfulness Meditation Versus Physical Exercise: Comparing Effects on Stress and Immunocompetence

NCT ID: NCT03728062

Last Updated: 2018-11-07

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

72 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-09-04

Study Completion Date

2018-05-01

Brief Summary

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The objective of this research project is to examine if including mindfulness meditation or physical exercise at lunch break improve workers' recovery from work stress. Therefore, 72 workers included either mindfulness meditation or physical exercise during their lunchbreaks for a month in order to find out if these recovery strategies have more favorable outcomes than usually spent lunch breaks concerning: a) psychological detachment, b) perceived stress, c) general health, d) burnout, e) fatigue, f) quality of sleep, g) cortisol awakening response and h) immunocompetence.

Detailed Description

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The investigators conduct an intervention study in a sample of 72 knowledge-workers, who engaged in mindfulness meditation or physical activities for five weeks. They performed from 15 to 30 minutes during their lunch breaks. The investigators randomly assigned participants to three experimental conditions: 1) mindfulness meditation, 2) physical activity, 3) control group (lunch break as usual). Online questionnaires before and after intervention assessed long term changes regarding recovery processes, perceived stress, health, mindfulness and burnout. For daily changes, a mobile application was developed to assess changes once per day immediately after work. The investigators also collect saliva samples to map cortisol and immunoglobulin A excretion across the intervention period. The investigators had two follow-up measures one and six months after the intervention.

Conditions

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Stress Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Mindfulness meditation during lunch break

Participants performed mindfulness meditation during lunch break at work place for a month, beginning with 15 minutes and ending with 30 minutes. They had available a "quiet room" and mp3 audios with guided meditations based on the MBSR program.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Mindfulness meditation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Guided mindfulness meditation focused on breath sensations, thoughts and emotions.

Physical exercise during lunch break

Participants performed physical exercises during lunch break at a gym for a month, beginning with 15 minutes and ending with 30 minutes. They were instructed to do cardio exercise such as running through a park or going to the gym for running, rowing, cycling or elliptical exercise. 20-140 beats per minute must be reach.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Physical exercise

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Cardio exercise at gym like rowing, eliptical, cycling, or running outside.

Control group

Participants continue their normal lunch routine.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Mindfulness meditation

Guided mindfulness meditation focused on breath sensations, thoughts and emotions.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Physical exercise

Cardio exercise at gym like rowing, eliptical, cycling, or running outside.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Mindfulness based intervention (MBSR) Cardio exercise

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Knowledge-workers of an specific company with similar stress level.

Exclusion Criteria

* Serious illness
* Regular meditation
* Regular physical exercise
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Universidad de Zaragoza

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Miguel Angel Santed Germán, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Universidad Nacional Española a Distancia

Carlos María Alcover de las Heras, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Locations

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Telefonica S.A, Telecom company

Madrid, , Spain

Site Status

Countries

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Spain

References

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Sonnentag S, Venz L, Casper A. Advances in recovery research: What have we learned? What should be done next? J Occup Health Psychol. 2017 Jul;22(3):365-380. doi: 10.1037/ocp0000079. Epub 2017 Mar 30.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28358572 (View on PubMed)

Bliese PD, Edwards JR, Sonnentag S. Stress and well-being at work: A century of empirical trends reflecting theoretical and societal influences. J Appl Psychol. 2017 Mar;102(3):389-402. doi: 10.1037/apl0000109. Epub 2017 Jan 26.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28125263 (View on PubMed)

Sonnentag S, Arbeus H, Mahn C, Fritz C. Exhaustion and lack of psychological detachment from work during off-job time: moderator effects of time pressure and leisure experiences. J Occup Health Psychol. 2014 Apr;19(2):206-16. doi: 10.1037/a0035760. Epub 2014 Mar 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24635737 (View on PubMed)

Nagel IJ, Sonnentag S. Exercise and sleep predict personal resources in employees' daily lives. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2013 Nov;5(3):348-68. doi: 10.1111/aphw.12014. Epub 2013 Oct 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24395817 (View on PubMed)

Hahn VC, Binnewies C, Sonnentag S, Mojza EJ. Learning how to recover from job stress: effects of a recovery training program on recovery, recovery-related self-efficacy, and well-being. J Occup Health Psychol. 2011 Apr;16(2):202-16. doi: 10.1037/a0022169.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21463049 (View on PubMed)

Sanz-Vergel AI, Sebastian J, Rodriguez-Munoz A, Garrosa E, Moreno-Jimenez B, Sonnentag S. [Adaptation of the "Recovery Experience Questionnaire" in a Spanish sample]. Psicothema. 2010 Nov;22(4):990-6. Spanish.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21044543 (View on PubMed)

Hulsheger UR, Walkowiak A, Thommes MS. How can mindfulness be promoted? Workload and recovery experiences as antecedents of daily fluctuations in mindfulness. J Occup Organ Psychol. 2018 Jun;91(2):261-284. doi: 10.1111/joop.12206. Epub 2018 Mar 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29861554 (View on PubMed)

Jamieson SD, Tuckey MR. Mindfulness interventions in the workplace: A critique of the current state of the literature. J Occup Health Psychol. 2017 Apr;22(2):180-193. doi: 10.1037/ocp0000048. Epub 2016 Sep 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27643606 (View on PubMed)

Daubenmier J, Hayden D, Chang V, Epel E. It's not what you think, it's how you relate to it: dispositional mindfulness moderates the relationship between psychological distress and the cortisol awakening response. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2014 Oct;48:11-8. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.05.012. Epub 2014 May 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24971591 (View on PubMed)

Leicht CA, Goosey-Tolfrey VL, Bishop NC. Exercise intensity and its impact on relationships between salivary immunoglobulin A, saliva flow rate and plasma cortisol concentration. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2018 Jun;118(6):1179-1187. doi: 10.1007/s00421-018-3847-6. Epub 2018 Apr 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29627864 (View on PubMed)

Kobayashi H, Song C, Ikei H, Park BJ, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y. Diurnal Changes in Distribution Characteristics of Salivary Cortisol and Immunoglobulin A Concentrations. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Aug 31;14(9):987. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14090987.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28858222 (View on PubMed)

Moreira A, Freitas CG, Nakamura FY, Drago G, Drago M, Aoki MS. Effect of match importance on salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin A responses in elite young volleyball players. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Jan;27(1):202-7. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825183d9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22395269 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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0709201711717

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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