An Intervention to Reduce Sitting Time at Work: Effects on Metabolic Health and Inactivity (Up4Health)

The Effects of Short, Frequent Breaks in Sitting Versus Longer, Planned Breaks in Sitting on Sedentary Behavior and Metabolic Health Among Inactive Females Working Sedentary Jobs

The purpose of this study is to determine whether varying the frequency and length of activity breaks during the workday will differentially impact sedentary behavior and health outcomes. Participants will be randomly assigned to take short, frequent breaks (i.e., 1 minute every half hour) or longer, planned breaks (i.e., two 15-minute walks) from sitting during the workday. They will be instructed to follow the assigned protocols for an 8-week intervention and the effects of their participation on sedentary behavior and a variety of health outcomes will be assessed. The investigators anticipate participants in both intervention arms will demonstrate significant reductions in daily sitting time, bit do not have an a priori hypothesis regarding the relative effectiveness of each approach.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sedentary Lifestyle
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Short breaks; Behavioral: Long breaks

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to determine whether varying the frequency and length of activity breaks during the workday will differentially impact sedentary behavior and health outcomes. Women aged 25-50 who work full-time in sedentary jobs and participate in less than 60 minutes of overall physical activity per week will be recruited. At the beginning of the study participants will visit the laboratory to complete baseline health assessments and meet with a research assistant to outline their plan for reducing sitting time at work. At this time they will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1) Group A will be asked to take two 15-minute walks during each workday, or 2) Group B will be asked to stand up and move around for 1-2 minutes every half hour throughout the workday. The total duration of this program will be eight weeks. During this time participants will be asked to keep a brief daily log of their activity breaks during the workday. At the end of the 8-week program participants will return to the laboratory to repeat the health assessments.

ASSESSMENTS:

All participants will complete the following tests and procedures:

• Metabolic blood panel. Blood will be drawn from a quick finger stick to assess total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, and fasting glucose.
• DEXA scan. Participants will lie down on a body scanner for about 10 minutes to assess body composition.
• Body measurements. A trained research assistant will measure height, weight, and waist circumference.
• Blood pressure. A trained research assistant will measure blood pressure using an automated blood pressure cuff.

In addition, participants will complete the following assessments outside of the laboratory:

• Questionnaires: Participants will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires. This should take 15-20 minutes.
• Accelerometer: Participants will be asked to wear a motion sensor for a total of 21 days (three 7-day periods). This small apparatus is worn around the waist during the day. Participants will complete a log indicating when they were wearing the accelerometer each day.
• Food diary: Participants will be asked to record their food intake for a total of 9 days (three 3-day periods).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 49
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 25 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Work at least 35 hours per week
2. Spend at least 80% of working hours sitting (self-reported)
3. Engage in less than 60 minutes per week of leisure-time exercise (self-reported)
4. Not pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next 3 months
5. Not currently trying to change weight
6. Speak English
7. Able to attend assessments
8. Willing to wear accelerometer
9. No anticipated significant conflicts during 8-week intervention

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Male
2. Working less than 35 hours per week
3. Spend >25% of working hours standing or active
4. Engage in more than 60 minutes per week of leisure-time exercise
5. Pregnant
6. Actively dieting or attempting to change weight

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Short breaks; Participants instructed to stand/move for 1-2 minutes every half hour throughout the workday	Behavioral: Short breaks; Following baseline testing, participants will attend a 30-minute individual orientation session, during which they will complete a planning worksheet with a research assistant. They will identify specific strategies they will use to accomplish the pre-specified goal (i.e., to take a 1-minute active break every 30 minutes during the workday). They will also identify potential barriers they will face and devise strategies for overcoming them. The intervention will officially start the Monday after the orientation session and will last for 8 weeks. Participants will receive a weekly email containing tips related to reducing sitting time at work. All participants will complete daily activity logs indicating the time and duration of all breaks from sitting across the 8-week intervention.; Other Names: Up4Health - short breaks
Active Comparator: Long breaks; Participants instructed to take two 15-minute activity breaks during each workday	Behavioral: Long breaks; Following baseline testing, participants will attend a 30-minute individual orientation session, during which they will complete a planning worksheet with a research assistant. They will identify specific strategies they will use to accomplish the pre-specified goal (i.e., to take two 15-minute activity breaks during each workday). They will also identify potential barriers they will face and devise strategies for overcoming them. The intervention will officially start the Monday after the orientation session and will last for 8 weeks. Participants will receive a weekly email containing tips related to reducing sitting time at work. All participants will complete daily activity logs indicating the time and duration of all breaks from sitting across the 8-week intervention.; Other Names: Up4Health - long breaks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in sedentary behavior during the workday	Measured by GT3X accelerometer	Baseline - week 8

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in weight		Baseline - week 9
Change in blood pressure		Baseline - week 9
Change in resting heart rate		Baseline - week 9
Change in total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol		Baseline - week 9
Change in triglycerides		Baseline - week 9
Change in fasting blood glucose		Baseline - week 9
Change in waist circumference		Baseline - week 9
Change in body composition	DEXA or bioelectrical impedance	Baseline - week 9
Change in energy, tiredness, tension, and calmness	Activation-Deactivation Checklist	Baseline - week 8
Change in fatigue severity, interference, and duration	Fatigue Symptom Inventory	Baseline - week 8
Change in mood	Positive and Negative Affect Scale	Baseline - week 8
Change in overall self-reported physical activity	International Physical Activity Questionnaire	Baseline - week 8
Change in overall objectively measured physical activity	Measured by GT3X accelerometer	Baseline - week 8
Change in diet quantity	Measured by 3-day food diary	Baseline - week 8
Change in diet quality	Dietary Screener Questionnaire	Baseline - week 8
Adherence to assigned protocols	Measured by activity logs	up to 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Kansas State University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Casey K, Mailey EL, Rosenkranz RR, Swank A, Ablah E, Rosenkranz SK. Does dietary intake change during an intervention to reduce sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease risk? A randomized comparative effectiveness trial. BMC Nutr. 2018 Apr 2;4:16. doi: 10.1186/s40795-018-0223-1. eCollection 2018.
• Mailey EL, Rosenkranz SK, Ablah E, Swank A, Casey K. Effects of an Intervention to Reduce Sitting at Work on Arousal, Fatigue, and Mood Among Sedentary Female Employees: A Parallel-Group Randomized Trial. J Occup Environ Med. 2017 Dec;59(12):1166-1171. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001131.
• Mailey EL, Rosenkranz SK, Casey K, Swank A. Comparing the effects of two different break strategies on occupational sedentary behavior in a real world setting: A randomized trial. Prev Med Rep. 2016 Aug 9;4:423-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.08.010. eCollection 2016 Dec.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 16, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 17, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): November 20, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): November 20, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 17, 2015
• Last Verified: November 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: intervention; sitting; worksite
• Other Study ID Numbers: USRG-3046