Investigating the Effectiveness of Exercise Coaching on the Physical Activity Behavior of Physically Inactive Employees.

Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven301 enrolled

Overview

The primary aim of this study is to investigate if and how a physical activity counselor can offer an added value in exercise promotion in physically inactive employees. We will explore if the physical activity counselor in the workplace setting can motivate sedentary employees to engage into systematic participation in sports and/or exercise by means of a short term coaching of 12 weeks. We aim to include 300 employees in the physical activity coaching process.

Being physically active on a regular basis has many health benefits. Nevertheless, the majority of the Belgian population doesn't reach the recommended amount and intensity of physical activity to profit from these health benefits. A physical activity counselor can possibly play a crucial role for these physically inactive individuals. He/she can design an individualized exercise program to stimulate the person to become lifelong physical active. Research has shown that exercise promotion at work can result in a lower absenteeism, prevention of burn-out and a positive corporate identity.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

301

Conditions

Sedentary Lifestyle

Interventions

physical activity coachingBEHAVIORAL

After measuring physical actity, physical fitness level, anthropometric and psychosocial variables a personalized 12 week physical activity program is made (=baseline). The intervention consisted of two face-to-face counselling sessions at the start of the intervention, short contacts by e-mail or telephone at weeks 3, 6 and 9, and two face-to-face counselling sessions at the end of the intervention. Employees exercise on their own. After 12 weeks and 6 months all measures are repeated.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Employee of Janssen Pharmaceutics Belgium * Physically inactive lifestyle (not reaching 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a week) * PAR-Q questionnaire all answers negative, if one or more answers are positive a permission of a physician is necessary Exclusion Criteria: * none

Locations (1)

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences

Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, Belgium

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in objective measure of degree of physical activity

Sensewear: accelerometer worn on the upper arm during 7 consecutive days measuring the physical activity pattern during this period

Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months

Secondary Outcomes

Change in health-related anthropometric measures

Weight, Abdominal circumference, Bodycomposition (fat- and musclepercentage)

Time frame: baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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