The Effect of a Leisure Time Physical Activity Intervention Delivered via a Workplace: 15-Month Follow-Up Study

Marit Skogstad, Lars-Kristian Lunde, Bente Ulvestad, Hans Christian D. Aass, Thomas Clemm, Asgeir Mamen and Øivind Skare
Additional contact information
Marit Skogstad: Department Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Box 8149 Deptartment, 0033 Oslo, Norway
Lars-Kristian Lunde: Department for Work Psychology and Physiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Box 8149 0033 Oslo, Norway
Bente Ulvestad: Department Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Box 8149 Deptartment, 0033 Oslo, Norway
Hans Christian D. Aass: The Blood Cell Research Group, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, 0450 Ullevaal, Norway
Thomas Clemm: Occupational Health Service Department, Mesta AS, Fanaveien 221 C, 5239 Rådal, Norway
Asgeir Mamen: Norwegian School of Health Sciences, Kristiania University College, Box 1190 Sentrum, 0107 Oslo, Norway
Øivind Skare: Department Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Box 8149 Deptartment, 0033 Oslo, Norway

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: In line with recommendations from both the World Health Organization and the European Union some employers encourage workplace health promotion through physical activity (PA) facilities and leisure time PA-initiatives. The current study describes a 15-month follow-up after an 8-week workplace delivered PA-initiative, investigates if improvements in cardiovascular risk status are sustainable, and elucidates differences according to educational level. One hundred and twenty one employees (43 women) were examined before and after the 8-week PA-initiative and 94 at the 15-month follow-up. PA-levels, blood pressure, resting heart rate, lipids, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), C-reactive protein (CRP), and selected markers of inflammation were registered at baseline, immediately after the 8-week PA-initiative, and 15 months after baseline. At the end of follow-up (15-month), PA-levels—increased during the 8-week intervention—had returned to baseline values. None of the five improvements in cardiovascular markers (total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), P-selectin, CD40Ligand (CD40L) and Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)) seen at the 8-week follow-up were sustained. At the 15-month follow-up as compared to baseline HbA1c, CRP (log) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were reduced by 0.06 mmol/L (95% CI −0.11,−0.01), 0.25 mg/L (95% CI −0.46,−0.04) and 0.39 pg/mL (95% CI −0.75, −0.04), respectively. At baseline, there were differences in cardiovascular risk factors comparing men with low versus high levels of education. No differences in changes in outcomes between these groups of men were found during follow-up. In this study highly educated men generally have lower levels of cardiovascular risk factors, but the effect of PA on such markers in this group do not differ from the effects seen in less educated men.

Keywords: physical activity; cardiovascular; occupational health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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