A randomized prospective trial of a worksite intervention program to increase physical activity

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Sedentary lifestyles are prevalent among non-faculty employees.
• Workplace interventions are a potential strategy to increase physical activity (PA).
• Multiple barriers, including access, knowledge, and time, can impede PA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of workplace interventions addressing multiple barriers to physical activity.
• To compare the impact of gym access alone versus combined with education and/or time during the workday on PA levels.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 60 university departments and 410 physically inactive non-faculty employees.
• Interventions included gym membership, gym plus PA education, gym plus time during the workday, and gym plus education plus time.
• Physical activity was measured using the 7-day Physical Activity Recall instrument over 9 months.

Main Results:

• Gym access alone did not significantly increase PA compared to the control group.
• Interventions combining gym access with education, time, or both significantly improved PA compared to control.
• These improvements were sustained over the 9-month study period.

Conclusions:

• Addressing environmental (gym access) and cognitive (education, time) barriers simultaneously did not enhance PA more than addressing single barriers.
• Workplace interventions combining gym access with either education or allocated time are effective in increasing PA.
• Future interventions should consider the synergistic effects of combining different barrier-reduction strategies.