Conduct a quasi-experimental pre-post study of a mindfulness-enhanced, web/app-enabled, scalable Total Worker Health (TWH) program among higher stress Corrections Professionals. The primary outcomes relate to behaviors promoted by the program: being mindful/reduced stress/improved mood; healthier eating; more physical activity; greater restorative sleep; improved work-life balance and greater positive feelings about the organization.
This proposed project will assess an innovative, scalable total worker health and wellness intervention among high stress Corrections Professionals. As stated in the proposal request, organizational and interpersonal factors have been associated with significant stress among Corrections Professionals, but there is limited assessment of effective and feasible interventions to mitigate these stress factors. Our current research has established robust constructs for characteristics of the organization and work environment, noting significant relationships with perceived stress. This critical understanding along with corresponding adverse mental and physical effects informs our proposed intervention to reduce potential stressors, enhance wellbeing, improve work performance, and reduce health care costs. This project will include a prospective interrupted time-series effectiveness trial of a mindfulness-enhanced, website/application-based, scalable Total Worker Health (TWH) program among higher risk corrections personnel working in restrictive housing units. Quantitative outcomes will include process measures; validated self-report indices of primary and secondary outcomes, and proximal potentially mediating factors; anthropometrics; laboratory studies of inflammation, vascular reactivity, and cellular aging; measures of job performance and health care costs. Qualitative measures will provide a deeper understanding of the quantitative findings. At program conclusion, there will be a cost effective easy to use work based health and wellness program tailored to corrections departments ready for dissemination. The robust dissemination plan includes coordinating the website and digital materials with the American Correctional Association marketing and media campaign site along with presentations at national corrections conferences making this freely available to all law enforcement and corrections personnel and agencies.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
The intervention will be delivered during 12, 45-minute weekly meetings of Correctional Professionals while on shift. Those sessions will be a combination of a video, mindfulness activity, and a group learning activity. It will conclude with members stating personal goals that will be followed up at the next meeting. Sessions will be scripted to make them easy to implement with high fidelity, and include tasks, learning activities, and wrap-up with practice instructions for each week. Coworkers will be responsible for running the sessions, which promotes shared norms and social support.
Oregon State Correctional Institute
Salem, Oregon, United States
RECRUITINGCoffee Creek Correctional Facility
Wilsonville, Oregon, United States
RECRUITINGChange in Perceived stress
Perceived Stress Scale Short Form (PSS-4)
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Mood
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS); Profile of Mood States Short Form (POMS-SF)
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Eating Habits
Relevant excerpts from the National Cancer Institute's fruit and vegetable all day screener and Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ), percent calories from fat, and health dietary behaviors (Elliot et al., 2007; Kuehl et al., 2014)
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Physical Activity
Change in physical activity will be assessed using this survey question: "How many days per week did you exercise or take part in moderate physical activities that increased your breathing a bit for a total of at least 30 minutes during the day (such as brisk walking or bicycling)?". This is measured in days per week (with a scale of 0-7 days). Relevant excerpts from previous research on physical activity behaviors (Elliot et al., 2007).
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Sleep
Change in sleep will be assessed using this survey question: "In the past seven days, I had trouble sleeping" measures in a scale of 1-5 (1=very good, 2=good, 3=fair, 4=poor, 5=very poor). Short Form from the National Institutes of Health's Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System's Sleep Disturbance (PROMIS-SD-SF); Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
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Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Work-life balance
Change in work-life balance will be assessed using this survey question: "In the past month, how often have you felt that you were able to control the important things in your life?" measured in a scale of 1-5 (1=none of the time, 2=a little of the time, 3=some of the time, 4=most of the time, 5=all of the time). Ballin et al., 2021.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Feelings about organization
Change in feelings about organization will be assessed using this survey question: "The Department of Corrections has processes in place that improve my work environment" measured with a scale from 1-5 (1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neither disagree or agree, 4=agree, 5=strongly agree). Ballin et al., 2021.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Life Satisfaction
Change in life satisfaction will be assessed with the survey question: "Would you say your general health is:" with a scale of a)excellent, b)very good, c)good, d)fair, and e)poor.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Body Mass Index
Change in Body mass index will measured in kg/m2.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Blood Pressure
Changes in blood pressure will be measured in mmHg.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Vascular Reactivity
Changes in Vascular reactivity will be measured in adjusted temperature rebound (aTR) between 0-2.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in C-reactive Protein
Changes in C-reactive protein will be measured in mg/L.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Cytokine Interleukin IL-6
Changes in cytokine Interleukin IL-6 will be measured in pg/mL.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha
Changes in Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha will be measured in pg/mL.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in telomere length
Changes in telomere length will be measured in kb.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Worker's Compensation Claims
Change in Worker's Compensation Claims from Oregon Department of Corrections Human Resources data that report the number of worker's compensation claims there are.
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion
Change in Days Injured
Change in Worker's Compensation Claims from Oregon Department of Corrections Human Resources data that report the number of missed days due to work-related illness or injury
Time frame: Change between timepoints: Before intervention implementation, 3 months after the intervention completion, and 9 months after intervention completion