Online Yoga for Improving the Well-being of Desk-based Workers

NCT ID: NCT06289426

Last Updated: 2024-10-26

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 80 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-02-15
• Study Completion Date: 2024-10-03

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week online yoga intervention in improving the well-being and productivity of desk-based workers. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• How effective is an 8-week online yoga intervention in improving the well-being (mental and physical) and productivity (work engagement and job performance) of the yoga group compared with passive controls?
• Are there any differences in well-being and work-related measures between the yoga and control groups?

Participants in the yoga group will practice yoga three days a week for 8 weeks and will be compared with a wait-listed control group, which will continue with the usual routine for 8 weeks. Researchers will evaluate the impact of yoga on the well-being and productivity of desk-based workers.

Detailed Description

Office workers are reported to spend 75% of their working day sitting (Mansoubi et al., 2016) and up to 10 hours across the whole day on workdays (Clemes et al., 2014). This presents a significant challenge to workforce well-being because of the increasing prevalence of remote work globally. A recent survey by the Office for National Statistics found that as of November 2022, the top four sectors in the UK using, or intending to use, increased homeworking as a permanent business model were those consisting of desk-based or office workers as their employees; viz information and communication (43.3%), professional scientific and technical activities (29.4%), education (17.2%), and administrative and support service activities (14.3%) (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2022).

The most common problems among desk-based workers compared to any other occupational groups include the musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck and shoulders, wrists and hands, lower back, and upper extremities (AlOmar et al., 2021; Basakci Calik et al., 2022; Besharati et al., 2020; Bontrup et al., 2019; Mohammadipour et al., 2018). Furthermore, high sedentary behaviour is also associated with a greater risk of anxiety (Teychenne et al., 2015), depression (Hallgren et al.; Wang et al., 2019), perceived stress, particularly in white-collar employees (Dėdelė et al., 2019), adverse mental health (Hamer et al., 2014), lower job satisfaction and greater fatigue (Rosenkranz et al., 2020). Office workers, in particular, have been found to have a higher prevalence of common mental health disorders compared to other occupations in the UK (Stansfeld et al., 2011). Work-related ill health is also a significant concern for employers because of the productivity loss resulting in a substantial financial burden to the organizations (Griffiths et al., 2011; Johnston et al., 2008).

Yoga has been accepted as a holistic practice similar to mindfulness with the added advantage of components like postures (asana) and breathing practices (pranayama), providing physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual benefits (Gordon, 2013; Vergeer et al., 2021). As a multi-component practice, yoga can provide a holistic approach to managing the consequences of prolonged desk-based work. It appears to be a suitable and safe therapy that may improve pain and functional outcomes connected to a range of musculoskeletal conditions in a clinically relevant manner (Ward et al., 2013). Yoga has also shown positive effects on the mental health of various employee types, including office workers, as per two systematic reviews and a meta-analysis (Valencia et al., 2019; Valle et al., 2020). The rising prevalence of desk-based work and its likelihood of representing a larger proportion of the future workforce underlines the timeliness of this study.

Therefore, the study aims to explore the effectiveness of an 8-week yoga intervention in improving the well-being (mental and physical) and productivity (work engagement and job performance) of the yoga group compared with passive controls.

Conditions

Perceived Stress; Depression; Anxiety; Mindfulness; Self-Compassion; Compassion; Work Engagement; Productivity; Heart Rate Variability; Mental Wellbeing; Musculoskeletal Pain

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Yoga - Group S

The experimental group will participate in 8 weeks of live online yoga classes, 3 times a week for 60 minutes each session. The yoga program will be designed based on previous evidence and personal experience of yoga experts and researchers.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Yoga

Intervention Type: OTHER

The yoga program will consist of body awareness, meditation, poses, breathing practices, relaxation, and positive affirmations in Sanskrit and English.

Control - Group L

The control group will be waitlisted and will continue with the usual routine for 8 weeks. They will participate in 8-week yoga classes after the completion of the study.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Yoga

The yoga program will consist of body awareness, meditation, poses, breathing practices, relaxation, and positive affirmations in Sanskrit and English.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Participants working remotely/hybrid aged 18 years and above.

2. living and working in the UK.

3. speak and understand English.

4. Fulfil the health criteria (e.g., No current injuries ).

5. Are willing to commit to an 8-week online streamed yoga course, three times a week, 60 min each session

Exclusion Criteria

1. Current yoga practice or related activities.

2. Medical or psychiatric conditions limiting the practice of yoga in general

3. Not suffering from any serious medical or psychiatric illness.

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

Sponsors

Kingston University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Vipin Wadhen, MPhil

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Kingston University

Locations

Vipin Wadhen

London, London, United Kingdom

Countries

United Kingdom

Other Identifiers

KU3339

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id