Effects of six month personalized endurance training on work ability in middle-aged sedentary women: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Hedwig T Stenner, Julian Eigendorf, Arno Kerling, Momme Kueck, Alexander A Hanke, Johanna Boyen, Anne-Katrin Nelius, Anette Melk, Dietmar Boethig, Christoph Bara, Andres Hilfiker, Dominik Berliner, Johann Bauersachs, Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner, Jörg Eberhard, Meike Stiesch, Cordula Schippert, Axel Haverich, Uwe Tegtbur, Sven Haufe, Hedwig T Stenner, Julian Eigendorf, Arno Kerling, Momme Kueck, Alexander A Hanke, Johanna Boyen, Anne-Katrin Nelius, Anette Melk, Dietmar Boethig, Christoph Bara, Andres Hilfiker, Dominik Berliner, Johann Bauersachs, Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner, Jörg Eberhard, Meike Stiesch, Cordula Schippert, Axel Haverich, Uwe Tegtbur, Sven Haufe

Abstract

Background: To test the effects of guided endurance training on work ability in middle-aged female hospital workers of various occupations.

Methods: We randomized 265 healthy, sedentary, middle-aged women (45-65 years) to an endurance training group (EG 210 min/week) or a wait-list control group (CG). At baseline and at 6-month follow-up, we assessed work ability (Work Ability Index [WAI]), physical activity (Freiburger activity questionnaire) and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. To examine the influence of baseline work ability, participants were divided into poor-moderate (WAI 1, 7-36 points, n = 83), good (WAI 2, 37-43 points, n = 136) and excellent (WAI 3, 44-49 points, n = 46) WAI subgroups.

Results: Cardiorespiratory fitness improved significantly after 6 months in the EG but not in the CG. The WAI total score increased significantly in the EG (38.3 ± 5.0 to 39.8 ± 4.9 points) but not in the CG (39.4 ± 4.7 to 39.3 ± 4.9 points), with a significant difference between groups (p < 0.01). In the EG, only the poor-moderate subgroup (WAI 1, 33.0 ± 2.9 to 36.6 ± 4.8 points, p < 0.05) increased the WAI total score, with this increase being significantly higher compared to the good (WAI 2, 40.2 ± 2.1 to, 40.4 ± 3.7 points) and excellent (WAI 3, 45.6 ± 1.5 to 45.7 ± 1.8 points) subgroup.

Conclusions: A 6-month guided exercise training intervention significantly increases cardiorespiratory fitness with concomitant improvements in work ability in middle-aged previously sedentary hospital employees. Women with low baseline work ability seem to particularly benefit from the intervention, which implies that similar interventions may be particularly beneficial for this group of individuals.

Trial registration: German Clinical Trails Register Identifier: DRKS00005159. Registered 25 September 2013.

Keywords: Physical activity; Subgroups; Work ability index; Workplace intervention.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interestsAuthors declare that they have no competing interests.

© The Author(s) 2020.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Participant flow chart throughout the study. WAI, Work Ability Index. aMore than one reason per participant may have been reported
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
WAI total score in the EG and CG at baseline and after 6 months. There was a significant group x time interaction, as analyzed with a two-way repeated measures ANOVA; there was no significant differences in the WAI total score between EG and CG at baseline (p = 0.094); the displayed values are the means ± standard errors. WAI, Work Ability Index
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
WAI total scores in EG and CG by WAI subgroups from baseline to 6 months. * = p < 0.05 for mean differences over time in the WAI between the EG and CG within each WAI subgroup, as analyzed with a two-way repeated measures ANOVA. The p-values over the brackets indicate significance of the differences between the WAI subgroups for the WAI changes in the EG, as analyzed with a one-way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. WAI 1, poor-moderate group; WAI 2, good group; WAI 3, excellent group; WAI, Work Ability Index

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Source: PubMed

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