Exercise Intervention for Employees of the University of Bern (WeMoveVirtual)

Kurzbewegungsintervention für Mitarbeitende Der Universität Bern

As part of a Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF project (On-site multi-component intervention to improve productivity and reduce the economic and personal burden of neck pain in Swiss Office-Workers, NEXpro = Neck EXercises for productivity, SNSF no. 32003B_182389, BASEC no. 2019-01678), the investigators first developed a physiotherapeutic exercise intervention to improve the strength and mobility of the neck muscles. In the SNSF project NEXpro, the intervention took place on-site in the office. However, in view of the digital transformation, it is important to adapt the intervention delivery method to the new virtual work setting. The aims of the present project are therefore to implement, further develop and contextually adapt the exercise intervention in order to reduce musculoskeletal complaints and to reduce health-related presenteeism. The final product is a user-friendly virtual 6-week short exercise intervention that employees of the University of Bern can use independently, regardless of time and place. The effectiveness of the newly developed short exercise intervention (pain reduction, reduction of presenteeism) will be assessed during a short pilot phase.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Musculoskeletal Diseases; Neck Pain; Occupational Health; Exercise Therapy; Efficiency; Work Performance; Presenteeism
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Exercise intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 24
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Bern, Switzerland, 3012
    • University of Bern, Faculty of Human Sciences, Institute of Psychology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Employees of the Faculty of Human Sciences of the University of Bern who
• suffer from neck pain or would like to prevent neck pain
• are between 18 and 65 years of age
• understand German (written and oral)
• have a predominantly sedentary job
• have given written consent to participate in the study.

Note: Neither gender, age, education nor group affiliation play a role. The investigators particularly welcome participation from mid-level employees. If students are willing to participate, they may also do so, but this group will not be actively recruited.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Existing severe neck pain grade IV (neck trauma, neck injury, specific pathologies (e.g. congenital cervical anomalies, stenosis, radiculopathy), inflammatory conditions (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis), history of cervical surgery)
• If physical activity is contraindicated by the doctor for any reason (e.g. due to unresolved hypertension).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Intervention; Exercise intervention

Other: Exercise intervention; The participants will carry out a physiotherapeutic exercise intervention over a period of 6 weeks. The exercise intervention is stored in a smartphone app (PhysiApp) and consists of different neck and shoulder exercises. The investigators will provide the training material to the participants and they may keep it after the end of the study. Participants can choose which and how many exercises they would like to do. However, the investigators ask participants to exercise at least three times a week for 20 minutes each time (a total of one hour per week) and to document the training afterwards in the smartphone app. In the first, third and sixth week, the investigators train together with the participants via a virtual platform (e.g. video call via Microsoft Teams) so that the correct execution of the exercise can be checked and questions can be clarified.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Work performance	Change in work performance from baseline. Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (i.e., work productivity loss). Min = 0, Max = 100. Higher score means worse (higher work productivity loss).	6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Intensity of neck pain	Change in neck pain from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means worse.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Intensity of back pain	Change in back pain from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means worse.	Over the period of 6 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Level of physical activity	Change of the level of physical activity from baseline. Questionnaire, single item (yes / no).	Over the period of 6 weeks
Sleep quality	Change in sleep quality from baseline. Numeric Rating scale. Min = 1, Max = 5. Higher score means worse.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Work breaks	Change in work breaks from baseline. Questionnaire, single item (number of work breaks)	Over the period of 6 weeks
General health status	Change in general health status from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means better.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Mental health status	Change in mental health status from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means better.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Flexibility	Change in self-rated flexibility of the muscles from baseline. Numeric Rating Scale. Min = 0, Max = 10. Higher score means better.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Adherence to exercise 1	Number of exercise from baseline. Via PhysiApp. Higher score means higher number of exercise.	Over the period of 6 weeks
Adherence to exercise 2	Type of exercise from baseline. Via PhysiApp. Strengthening vs. non-strengthening.	Over the period of 6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Bern
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Achim Elfering, Prof, University of Bern

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 19, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 4, 2023
• First Posted (Estimate): January 9, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): January 9, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 4, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Neck Pain; Musculoskeletal Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2022-08-01; 2022-00970 (Business Administration System for Ethics Committees (BASEC) number)

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