Obesity, Lifestyle and Work Intervention

Molde University College

Status: Completed

Conditions: Work Related Illnesses; Life Style; Sick-leave; Obesity; Morbid Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Lifestyle intervention; Behavioral: Lifestyle and work intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03886870

2014/697 REK South-East

Details and patient eligibility

About

The main aim of this study was to examine whether introducing a work intervention into a traditional lifestyle rehabilitation program for persons with BMI above 30, would affect the participants' ability to work and their lifestyle change. The investigators wanted to find out how the participants experienced their health, workability and work capacity, quality of life, diet and self-efficacy before and during the intervention

Full description

The background for this study was insights about obesity and sick leave. Obesity is related to lower labor force participation, increased sickness absence and reduced productivity. A Danish study from 2006 reported a yearly 1, 8 million extra days of work absence and close to 1.100 cases of disability pension related to obesity. A 2016-report from OECD show that persons with obesity between the ages 50-59 have three times as much work absence as those who do not struggle with obesity. This indicates that persons with obesity are a group where the need for work rehabilitation is important. Despite this connection, work focus has not been a part of lifestyle interventions for persons with morbid obesity until the last two years.

By introducing a work intervention into a traditional lifestyle rehabilitation program for persons with BMI over 30, the investigators wanted to examine whether this would affect the participants' ability to work and their lifestyle change. The study was designed as a randomized controlled study with an exploring prospective design. The intervention lasted 12 months and each patient had three visits (baseline, 6 and 12 months) at Muritunet, each lasting 4-2-2 weeks. The participants were randomized into two intervention, one with work intervention and one without.

Data material gathered at each stay consisting of self-reported forms, test, journal and individual interviews. These were all collected at baseline, and at six and twelve months.

Enrollment: 140 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Participants with a Body Mass Index (BMI) > 30 with or without comorbidity

Exclusion criteria

• People without a capacity to consent.
• People with severe alcohol and/or drug abuse.
• People with a major mental illness.
• Being pregnant.
• People with a health condition that contraindicates physical activity.
• People with or plan to apply for disability benefits.
• People with permanently adapted work.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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140 participants in 2 patient groups

Lifestyle and work intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Lifestyle intervention with work focus.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Lifestyle intervention

Lifestyle intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Lifestyle intervention without work focus.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Lifestyle and work intervention