The physical activity at work (PAW) study protocol: a cluster randomised trial of a multicomponent short-break intervention to reduce sitting time and increase physical activity among office workers in Thailand

Abstract

Background High levels of sedentary behaviour (SB) are associated with non-communicable diseases. In 2016, the estimated total healthcare expenditure from physical activity (PA) in Thailand added up to $190 million in international dollars. The challenge to reduce SB and increase PA among office workers is more urgent now than ever as Thailand is transforming itself from a predominantly rural country to an increasingly urban one. This study will investigate the effectiveness of a multicomponent short break intervention on the reduction of SB during office hours. Methods/design This two-armed Physical Activity at Work (PAW) cluster randomised controlled trial will recruit 360 office workers from 18 offices in the Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). Offices will be randomised to either the intervention group or the control group. The multicomponent intervention is informed by the Social Ecological Model and Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) and contains four components: (i) organisational, including heads of the participating divisions leading exercises, sending encouragement text messages and acknowledging efforts; (ii) social, including team movement breaks and team-based incentives; (iii) environmental, including posters to encourage exercise; and (iv) individual components including real-time PA feedback via an individual device. The main intervention component will be a short break intervention. The primary outcome of this study is the sedentary time of office workers. Secondary outcomes include time spent on PA, cardiometabolic outcomes, work productivity, musculoskeletal pain, and quality of life. The study also includes process and economic evaluations from the individual and societal perspective. Discussion The study will be the first experimental study in Thailand to investigate the effect of a short-break intervention at the workplace on SBs of office workers and health outcomes. The study will also include a cost-effectiveness analysis to inform investments on short break interventions under the Universal Healthcare Coverage in Thailand, which includes health promotion and disease prevention component. Trial registration The PAW study has been registered at the Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR) under the study ID TCTR20200604007 . Registered 02 June 2020,

The Effect of Containment Measures during the Covid-19 Pandemic to Sedentary Behavior of Thai Adults: Evidence from Thailand’s Surveillance on Physical Activity 2019–2020

“…Most rural Thais are occupied in agricultural activities [43] that require PA in physically demanding transportation and farming. By contrast, urban Thais rely more on the motorized transportation and are employed in jobs that involve sitting in front of a computer terminal for much of the work day [44]. During the pandemic, the government's Covid-19 containment policy was also more strictly enforced in cities, given the fact that more densely populated settlements provide a greater opportunity for easy spread of infection.…”

Reducing sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity in the workplace: protocol for a review of systematic reviews

“…For example, in Thailand, the national Health Promotion Foundation has recently commissioned the 'Physical Activity at Work' research programme to help address the increasing rates of SB in the population. 41 Our findings will also further inform the implementation of workplace interventions in countries where guidelines or nationwide initiatives to reduce SB or increase PA already exist, such as Australia, 42 UK 43 or Singapore. 44 Finally, this RoR will also allow potential research gaps to be identified, so that the design of future studies can be better informed.…”

The Effect of Educational Intervention Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior on Physical Activities Among Employees

“…Therefore, inactivity should be considered a major problem in public health because the majority of adults in industrialized and undeveloped countries do not meet health-related guidelines for physical activity (6,12). Workplace health promotion programs are effective means for the promotion of healthy behaviors (13). This study was accomplished to determine the effect of an educational intervention to promote physical activities among employees.…”

“…As a result, inactivity must be considered the main health problem for societies (12). Workplace health promotion has generally focused on promoting employees' health through the decrease of individual risk-related behaviors (12,13). Therefore, employees seem to be vital a population to promote the maintenance of adequate physical activities.…”

“…Based on the evidence, physical activity is influenced by individual, socio-cultural, and environmental factors (12,13). Consequently, health interventions for behavioral changes, including physical activity, must be designed based on theories and behavior change models (14,15).…”