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The Immediate and Sustained long-Term Changes in Daytime Sleepiness After Participation in a Workplace Pedometer
Winda Liviya Ng1, Rosanne Freak-Poli, Christopher Stevenson
1From the Obesity and Population Health Unit (Ms NG, Drs Freak-Poli and Peeters, and Mr Stevenson), Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute; Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Epidemiology (Dr Freak-Poli), Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and School of Health & Social Development (Dr Stevenson), Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Objective:
To assess the potential benefit of a workplace physical activity program on daytime sleepiness.
Methods:
A total of 685 participants of a 4-month workplace physical activity program were assessed for daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]) at baseline, 4 months (postprogram), and 12 months. Changes in ESS were analyzed using multilevel mixed linear regression.
Results:
In the total population, no changes in ESS scores were observed; 0 to 4 months: -0.2 (95% CI: -0.5 to 0.0), 4 to 12 months: 0.1 (95% CI: -0.2 to 0.4). In participants with baseline excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS > 10, n = 109), ESS scores improved significantly by -2.2 (95% CI: -3.0 to -1.4) at 4 months, sustained at 12 months; and almost half no longer had excessive daytime sleepiness by end of program.
Conclusions:
This study suggests that for employees with excessive daytime sleepiness, short- and long-term improvement in daytime sleepiness may be an unforeseen benefit of workplace physical activity programs.
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