Physical activity and health promotion programs in the workplace: A meta-analysis of effectiveness in European organizations

The multifaceted benefits of walking for healthy aging: from Blue Zones to molecular mechanisms

Physical activity, including walking, has numerous health benefits in older adults, supported by a plethora of observational and interventional studies. Walking decreases the risk or severity of various health outcomes such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cognitive impairment and dementia, while also improving mental well-being, sleep, and longevity. Dose-response relationships for walking duration and intensity are established for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Walking's favorable effects on cardiovascular risk factors are attributed to its impact on circulatory, cardiopulmonary, and immune function. Meeting current physical activity guidelines by walking briskly for 30 min per day for 5 days can reduce the risk of several age-associated diseases. Additionally, low-intensity physical exercise, including walking, exerts anti-aging effects and helps prevent age-related diseases, making it a powerful tool for promoting healthy aging. This is exemplified by the lifestyles of individuals in Blue Zones, regions of the world with the highest concentration of centenarians. Walking and other low-intensity physical activities contribute significantly to the longevity of individuals in these regions, with walking being an integral part of their daily lives. Thus, incorporating walking into daily routines and encouraging walking-based physical activity interventions can be an effective strategy for promoting healthy aging and improving health outcomes in all populations. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the vast and consistent evidence supporting the health benefits of physical activity, with a specific focus on walking, and to discuss the impact of walking on various health outcomes, including the prevention of age-related diseases. Furthermore, this review will delve into the evidence on the impact of walking and low-intensity physical activity on specific molecular and cellular mechanisms of aging, providing insights into the underlying biological mechanisms through which walking exerts its beneficial anti-aging effects.

Efficacy of an mHealth Behavior Change Intervention for Promoting Physical Activity in the Workplace: Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a well-established risk factor for several noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, depression, and dementia. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that individuals engage in 150 minutes of moderate PA per week or 75 minutes of intense PA per week. According to the WHO's latest report, 23% of adults fail to meet the minimum recommended level of PA. The percentage was even higher in a recent global study that showed 27% of adults were insufficiently active and reported a 5% increase in the prevalence trend of insufficient PA between 2001 and 2016. The study also showed the rate of insufficient PA among countries varied significantly. For instance, it was estimated that 40% were insufficiently active in the United States, and the percentage was even higher in Saudi Arabia (more than 50%). Governments are actively developing policies and methods to successfully establish a PA-inducing environment that encourages a healthy lifestyle in order to address the global steady decline in PA.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of mobile health (mHealth) interventions, particularly SMS text messaging interventions, to improve PA and decrease BMI in healthy adults in the workplace.

METHODS

In this parallel, 2-arm randomized controlled trial, healthy adults (N=327) were randomized to receive an mHealth intervention (tailored text messages combined with self-monitoring (intervention; n=166) or no intervention (control; n=161). Adults who were fully employed in an academic institution and had limited PA during working hours were recruited for the study. Outcomes, such as PA and BMI, were assessed at baseline and 3 months later.

RESULTS

Results showed significant improvement in PA levels (weekly step counts) in the intervention group (β=1097, 95% CI 922-1272, P<.001). There was also a significant reduction in BMI (β=0.60, 95% CI 0.50-0.69, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Combining tailored text messages and self-monitoring interventions to improve PA and lower BMI was significantly effective and has the potential to leverage current methods to improve wellness among the public.

An Evaluation of a Commercialized mHealth Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in the Workplace

Background

UPnGO with ParticipACTION (UPnGO) was a commercialized 12-month workplace physical activity intervention, aimed at encouraging employees to sit less and move more at work. Its design took advantage of the ubiquitous nature of mobile fitness trackers and aimed to be implemented in any office-based workplace in Canada. The program was available at cost from June 2017 to April 2020. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the program and identify key lessons from the commercialization of UPnGO.

Methods

Using a quasi-experimental design over 3 time points: baseline, 6 months, 12 months, five evaluation indicators were measured as guided by the RE-AIM framework. Reach was defined as the number and percentage of employees who registered for UPnGO and the number and percentage of sedentary participants registered. Effectiveness was assessed through average daily step count. Adoption was determined by workplace champion and senior leadership responses to the off-platform survey. Implementation was assessed as the percentage of participants who engaged with specific program elements at the 3-evaluation time points. Maintenance was assessed by the number of companies who renewed their contracts for UPnGO.

Results

Reach across 17 organizations, 1980 employees participated in UPnGO, with 27% of participants identified as sedentary at baseline. Effectiveness Daily step count declined from 7,116 ± 3,558 steps at baseline to 6,969 ± 6,702 (p = <0.001) at 12 months. Adoption Workplace champion and senior leadership engagement declined from 189 to 21 and 106 to 5 from baseline to 12 months, respectively. Maintenance Two companies renewed their contracts beyond the first year.

Conclusions

The commercialization of UPnGO was an ambitious initiative that met with limited success; however, some key lessons can be generated from the attempt. The workplace remains an important environment for PA interventions but effective mHealth PA programs may be difficult to implement and sustain long-term.

Effects of a Physical Exercise Intervention on Pain in Workplaces: A Case Study

Interventions that promote physical activity and healthy habits in workplaces have proven to be effective in reducing risk factors associated with numerous pathologies. This study examines the effects of an individualized physical exercise program that lasts five minutes for 30 working days on the perceived pain of workers, as well as analyzing adherence to it within workplaces. Data were collected through a visual analog scale of 1-10 of the perception of pain by anatomical areas, and, thus, we could observe variations in the perceived pain of workers through a program of five individualized exercises for one minute each based on the analysis of the worker and the job position. Significant differences were observed in three of the four centers analyzed (1: p = 0.006; 2: p = 0.009; 3: p = 0.000; 4: p = 0.791). A five-minute exercise program in the work environment appears to be an effective tool in terms of time and an improvement in workers' perception of pain.

Workplace Health Promotion in German Social Firms-Offers, Needs and Challenges from the Perspectives of Employees, Supervisors and Experts

On the general labor market, social firms provide 30-50% of people with different types of disabilities the opportunity to gain employment. However, the topic of workplace health promotion (WHP), needs for improvement and accompanied challenges are neglected in the current research and were the focus of the present study. Therefore, data triangulation was used between July and December 2020 by combining three focus groups with employees (n = 14 employees) with 16 interviews with supervisors from several social firms in Northern Germany (e.g., from catering, cleaning or bicycle repair sectors). 17 semi-structured telephone interviews with experts in the field of WHP or social firms were added. All approaches were audio-taped, transcribed and anonymized. To analyze the data, Mayring's qualitative content analysis was used. The results indicated that several offers for WHP, including sport, nutrition and relaxation, were offered, as well as those on smoking cessation, cooperation with external organizations or training and education offers. Needs for improvement were stated referring to additional sport offers, support for implementing a healthy diet, offers for relaxation, financial incentives or collaborations with external organizations. A low take-up of offers; a lack of resources, structures or management support; compatibility of offers with work time and organization; challenges with available trainings or the consideration of individual needs and capacities were highlighted as challenges. Overall, there is a need for further interventional and longitudinal research on WHP in social firms.