The Effect of Breaking up Sitting in the Workplace on Cardiometabolic Risk and Worker Productivity

Pilot Study of a Tailored Intervention to Break up Sitting in the Workplace on Cardiometabolic Risk and Worker Productivity

This pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will examine the effect of a tailored workplace intervention based on interrupting sitting on work productivity, well-being and cardio-metabolic risk in office workers. The experimental group in the 8-week intervention will be prompted to alternate between sitting and standing while working. The ratio between sitting and standing will begin at 3:1 (two hours per day in an eight-hour day) and increase to 1:1 (four hours per day in an eight-hour day) by the end of the second week of the eight-week intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Sedentary Lifestyle
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Breaking up sitting

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 46
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Bedfordshire
    • Bedford, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, MK42 9AP
      • Bedford Borough Council
    • Luton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, LU1 3JU
      • University of Bedfordshire

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 60 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Full-time office employees from any ethnic background, PC/Android phone users, and recruited from two different work sites.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy
• History of musculoskeletal complaint
• Non-ambulatory
• Having a planned holiday that would mean they would not be at work for more than two weeks during the 8-week intervention period.

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
Experimental: Breaking up sitting time; A behaviour-change intervention to break up prolonged sitting in the workplace	Behavioral: Breaking up sitting; A three-part behaviour change intervention, including: Supportive organisational culture and knowledge of consequence of prolonged sitting; Environmental Modification; Behavioural Changes
No Intervention: Control; The participants in the control group will continue their daily activities as normal without any form of information about the intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in sitting time (objective)	Evaluation of change in sitting time in the workplace using wearable accelerometers (ActivPAL3; PAL Technologies Ltd., Glasgow, UK). The ActivPAL will be worn on the right thigh.	Change from baseline sitting time at 8 weeks
Change in physical activity level (objective)	Evaluation of physical activity time in the workplace using wearable accelerometers (ActivPAL3; PAL Technologies Ltd., Glasgow, UK). The ActivPAL will be worn on the right thigh.	Change from baseline physical activity level at 8 weeks
Change in sitting time (subjective)	The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) will be used to provide a subjective measure of sitting. The scale provides a measure of reported sitting time in minutes.	Change from baseline sitting time at 8 weeks
Change in physical activity level (subjective)	The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) will be used to provide a subjective measure of physical activity level. The scale provides a measure of reported sitting time in minutes for each of three types of physical activity (vigorous, moderate, and walking).	Change from baseline physical activity level at 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Absenteeism	Participants will be asked to respond to questions on the Gaudine and Gregory questionnaire on unsanctioned absence. Self-reported absenteeism will be calculated by adding the number of days reported for all the three questions.	Change from baseline absenteeism at 8 weeks
Presenteeism	Presenteeism will be measured using Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ). The WLQ requires employees to self-report their level of difficulty (or ability) to perform 25 specific job demands in the last 2 weeks. Answers generated for the 25 items will be grouped into four work limitation scales including Time Management; Physical Demands; Mental/Interpersonal and Output Demands. The scores for each subscale range from 0-100%, with 0 equivalent to no limitation and 100 equivalent to complete limitation.	Change from baseline presenteeism at 8 weeks
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA)	Participants will be prompted at random four times between 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday to complete a short questionnaire which will only take them 60 seconds to complete whilst in sitting position, standing and /or in walking position to enter their level of productivity.	Eight weeks
Height	Measurement of height	Once at baseline
Change in weight	Measurement of weight	Change from baseline weight at 8 weeks
Change in waist circumference	Measurement waist circumference	Change from baseline waist circumference at 8 weeks
Blood pressure	Systolic and diastolic blood pressure on the right arm after resting for at least 10 min in a seated position using an automated blood pressure monitor (Omron HEM705 CP, Omron Healthcare UK Limited, Milton Keynes, UK).	Change from baseline blood pressure at 8 weeks
Change in fasting total cholesterol	Blood samples will be collected in capillary tubes after an overnight fast using a finger prick method with lancet. Measures of total cholesterol will be made.	Change from baseline fasting total cholesterol at 8 weeks
Change in fasting high-density lipoprotein	Blood samples will be collected in capillary tubes after an overnight fast using a finger prick method with lancet. Measures of high-density lipoprotein will be made.	Change from baseline fasting high-density lipoprotein at 8 weeks
Change in fasting triglycerides	Blood samples will be collected in capillary tubes after an overnight fast using a finger prick method with lancet. Measures of triglycerides will be made.	Change from baseline fasting triglycerides at 8 weeks
Change in fasting blood glucose levels	Blood samples will be collected in capillary tubes after an overnight fast using a finger prick method with lancet. Measures of blood glucose levels will be made.	Change from baseline fasting blood glucose levels at 8 weeks
Stress	Cohen Perceived Stress questionnaire will be used to assess perception of stress. It primarily evaluates the unpredictability, uncontrollability and overload of an individual's life.	Change from baseline stress at 8 weeks
Mood	The positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) questionnaire is a 20-item self-report measure of both positive and negative affect.	Change from baseline mood at 8 weeks
Mental Wellbeing	The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental well-being Scale will be used to determine whether mental wellbeing changes. This scale has 14 questions, with each question scored from 1-5, giving a total score from 14-70.	Change from baseline mental wellbeing at 8 weeks
Self-efficacy	A generalised four-point Likert scale questionnaire will be used to measure the self-efficacy of the participants.	Change from baseline self-efficacy at 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Bedfordshire

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 25, 2018
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): September 30, 2018
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 11, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 6, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): June 18, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 10, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 9, 2018
• Last Verified: October 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: IHREC836

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No