The effectiveness of multi-component interventions targeting physical activity or sedentary behaviour amongst office workers: a three-arm cluster randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Interventions to increase physical activity or reduce sedentary behaviour within the workplace setting have shown mixed effects. This cluster randomised controlled trial assessed whether multi-component interventions, focusing on changes at the individual, environmental, and organisational levels, either increased physical activity or reduced sedentary behaviour, compared to a passive control group. Methods: Teams of office-workers from two companies participated in one of two interventions (iPA: targeting physical activity; or iSED: targeting sedentary behaviour), or wait-list control group (C). Exclusion criterion was very high physical activity level (MVPA ≥30 min/day in ≥10 min bouts every day). Randomisation occurred at the level of workplace cluster, and groups were randomly allocated (1:1) with stratification for company and cluster size. Personnel involved in data collection and processing were blinded to group allocation. Both interventions included five sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy counselling for 6 months. iPA included counselling focused on physical activity, access to a gym, and encouragement to exercise, and go for lunch walks. iSED included counselling on sedentary behaviour and encouragement to reduce sitting and increase engagement in standing-and walking-meetings. At baseline and the 6-month mark accelerometers were worn on the hip and thigh for 7 days. The primary outcomes were group differences in time spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (%MVPA) and in sedentary behaviour (%), analysed using Bayesian multilevel modelling for those with complete data.

Effects of Two Randomized and Controlled Multi-Component Interventions Focusing On 24-Hour Movement Behavior among Office Workers: A Compositional Data Analysis

“…Our results confirm the previous effectiveness analysis performed according to the published study protocol [ 29 ], which did not find any intervention effect on average daily %MVPA or %SED [ 30 ]. The in-depth analysis in the present study, examining domain-specific effects and using CoDA, also did not disclose any relevant intervention effect.…”

“…At baseline, 263 persons were included in the RCT. We performed a complete case analysis because the previously published effectiveness analysis found no differences between results based on complete case and intention to treat analyses [ 30 ]. Thus, three different analytic samples were created for the three different analyses addressing aims 1–3.…”

“…The interventions were delivered at the workplace but aimed at encouraging participants to change behavior throughout the entire day, during both work and leisure. An effectiveness analysis according to the published study protocol [ 29 ] has been published, showing no significant changes in primary outcomes, i.e., device-measured MVPA and SED [ 30 ]. This analysis did not apply CoDA, and domain-specific (work vs. leisure) effects were not investigated.…”

The effects on self-efficacy, motivation and perceived barriers of an intervention targeting physical activity and sedentary behaviours in office workers: A cluster randomized control trial

“…Even though the present study showed positive changes in self-e cacy and autonomous motivation, a previous study from the research group found that the intervention did not lead to signi cant changes is physical activity or sedentary behaviour compared to waiting list control group when comparing physical activity before the intervention to physical activity after the 6 month intervention (19). Perhaps this may be explained by the fact that it takes time to change behaviour so that changing selfe cacy and autonomous motivation may be the rst changes in the process towards changing behaviour.…”

The motivational profile does matter: an exploratory survey on the influence of remote office work on physical behavior during the COVID19 lockdown

“…(13,14)), counseling sessions with coaches (e.g. (15)), or promote more sit-to-stand variation (e.g. (13)), a growing number of technology-based interventions, also called eHealth or digital health interventions, is being developed to promote breaks in sedentary behavior among o ce workers (e.g.…”