Stand Up Kansas: An Intervention to Reduce Sedentary Behavior in the Home Work Environment
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
This project will examine the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce sedentary behavior in Kansas State University employees who are primarily working from home. We will recruit 100 employees to participate. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions: desk only, program only, desk + program, or waitlist control. The program will consist of strategies to reduce sitting and increase physical activity in the home environment. We will assess whether the intervention successfully elicits reductions in sitting among employees, as well as changes in cardiometabolic and work-related outcomes.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Detailed Description
For this project we will conduct a 12-week intervention that incorporates multiple strategies to reduce sedentary behavior among university employees who are primarily working from home. Participants will be recruited via campus networks.
Participants will attend an initial testing visit, during which anthropometric and health outcome data (blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol) will be collected. Following the testing visit, all participants will complete an activity log for the next 5 work days, and a subsample will wear an activPAL 4 device for 7 days. All participants will complete a series of questionnaires (measuring physical activity, fatigue, stress, productivity, mood, and diet) online.
After all baseline data have been collected, participants will be randomized to one of four conditions: desk only, program only, desk + program, or waitlist control. Those in the desk only and desk+program conditions will receive a height-adjustable desk. They will be asked to set up the desk at their home workstation and send a photo of the setup to our research team within one week. Those in the program only and control conditions will receive their height-adjustable desks after completing the post-intervention assessments. Participants assigned to the program only and desk+program conditions will have access to a website that includes a variety of resources for reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity in the home environment. The intervention program will be based on social cognitive theory and will be designed to promote self-efficacy, self-regulation, positive outcome expectations, and social and environmental support. Participants will complete weekly modules that include activities such as goal setting and self-monitoring, action and coping planning, group discussions, etc. The program will also provide suggestions for changes to the home work environment, access to virtual stretching and strengthening videos, examples of technology to prompt breaks, etc. Participants will also receive 2 small group coaching calls via Zoom (at 3 and 8 weeks) to assist them in setting goals for reducing sedentary behavior and overcoming barriers. Participants in the desk only and waitlist control groups will receive access to the program after completing the post-intervention assessments.
All measures will be repeated following the 12-week intervention.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Active Comparator: Desk Only Participants will receive a height-adjustable desk to use in their home work environment. |
Device: Desk Only
Provision of height-adjustable desk
Other Names:
|
| Active Comparator: Program Only Participants will receive 12 weeks of online content to support reductions in sedentary behavior while working from home. Content will be based on social cognitive theory. |
Behavioral: Program Only
Online modules will promote goal setting, self-monitoring, habit formation, social support, barrier identification, and environmental modifications
|
| Experimental: Desk + Program Participants will receive a height-adjustable desk to use in their home work environment AND 12 weeks of online content to support reductions in sedentary behavior while working from home. |
Device: Desk Only
Provision of height-adjustable desk
Other Names:
Behavioral: Program Only
Online modules will promote goal setting, self-monitoring, habit formation, social support, barrier identification, and environmental modifications
|
| No Intervention: Waitlist Control Participants will receive the intervention (desk + program) after all follow-up data have been collected. |
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Change in sedentary behavior during the workday [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Measured via 5-day activity log
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Change in physical activity [Baseline and 12 weeks]
International Physical Activity Questionnaire (long form)
- Changes in sitting, standing and stepping [Baseline and 12 weeks]
activPAL (subsample)
- Change in productivity [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Health and Work Questionnaire
- Change in stress [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Perceived Stress Scale (4-item)
- Change in fatigue [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Fatigue Symptom Inventory
- Change in mood [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule
- Change in diet [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants - Shortened Version
- Change in blood pressure [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Measured using automatic blood pressure cuff
- Change in fasting blood glucose [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Blood sample obtained via finger stick
- Change in cholesterol [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Total, HDL, and LDL; Blood sample obtained via finger stick
- Change in triglycerides [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Blood sample obtained via finger stick
- Change in waist circumference [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Measured to the nearest 0.5 cm
- Change in weight [Baseline and 12 weeks]
Measured in kg
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
-
Full-time employee (works >30 hours per week)
-
Sedentary job (>75% of workday seated)
-
Working primarily at home (>80% of typical week)
-
Able to safely engage in light intensity physical activity
-
No ambulatory limitations
Exclusion Criteria:
-
Working <30 hours per week
-
Standing or physically active >25% of typical workday
-
Working on campus >20% of a typical week OR planning to resume work on campus in the next 3 months
-
Uncontrolled stage 2 (severe) hypertension without a medical release signed by a physician
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas State University | Manhattan | Kansas | United States | 66506 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Kansas State University
- University of Kansas Medical Center
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Emily L Mailey, PhD, Kansas State University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
More Information
Publications
None provided.- IRB8886