Intervention Study on Break Activities and Workers´ Psychological and Physiological Health & Performance

Tampere University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Relaxation Exercises During Lunch Breaks; Exposure to Nature During Lunch Breaks

Treatments: Behavioral: Relaxation during lunch break; Behavioral: Park walk during lunch break

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02124837

257682SA

Details and patient eligibility

About

The objective of this research project is to understand and to improve workers´ recovery from work stress. Although recovery during lunch breaks is the most common within-workday break, it has received only minor research attention. Therefore, we will study whether lunch breaks including a relaxation session or exposure to nature have more favorable outcomes than usually spent lunch breaks concerning: a) recovery processes, b) health, c) well-being, d) job performance and e) creativity. We approach recovery by combining the theoretical frameworks of work and environmental psychology.

Full description

We conduct an intervention study in a sample of 200 knowledge-workers who engage in different lunch break activities for 15-minutes per day, two weeks in a row. We randomly assign participants to three experimental conditions: 1) exposure to nature, 2) relaxation and 3) control group (lunch break spent as usual). Online questionnaires before and after the intervention assess long term changes regarding recovery processes and the major outcome variables. Before, during and after the intervention, SMS and paper-pencil questionnaires measure the same constructs four times a day with fewer items. We also measure blood pressure and collect saliva samples to map cortisol excretion across the intervention period. A timed experimental task (i.e., the Alternative Uses Task) is used to examine differences in creativity between the three groups after the intervention period.

By combining the knowledge of work and environmental psychology about recovery and restorative experiences, by merging three recovery perspectives (settings, processes, and outcomes) and by using data triangulation, we produce valid results that broaden our view on mechanisms underlying recovery and enhance our understanding about their links to psychological, behavioural and physiological outcomes, resulting in a more comprehensive picture of work stress recovery in general.

Enrollment: 200 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Being able to speak and understand Finnish language
• Paid work for at least 24 hours per week

Exclusion criteria

• Shift work, highly irregular working hours
• Serious illness or allergies that prevent participants from walking in nature

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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200 participants in 3 patient groups

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants continue their normal lunch routine.

Relaxation exercise during lunch break

Experimental group

Description:

Participants perform relaxation exercises during each lunch break during work for a period of 2 working weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Relaxation during lunch break

Park walk during lunch break

Experimental group

Description:

Participants go for a walk in the closest park nearby each lunch break during work for a period of 2 working weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Park walk during lunch break