The Cycle Nation Project: A Workplace Intervention to Increase the Number of People Cycling Regularly (Phase 2: Feasibility)
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Sponsor
- University of Glasgow
- Enrollment
- 100
- Locations
- 2
- Primary Endpoint
- Participant adherence to the cycle training course
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Interventions to increase the number of people cycling regularly are likely to induce a range of health and societal benefits, including reduced incidence of heart disease, cancer and obesity, improved mental health and well-being, and reduced road congestion and air pollution. They are also likely to provide tangible financial and in-kind benefits to employers and society, through reduced workforce absenteeism, increased productivity and decreased use of NHS resources. However, increasing the number of people cycling regularly is complex and interventions undertaken to date have only been modestly successful. Thus, to induce a step-change in the number of people cycling in the United Kingdom (UK), in line with British Cycling and HSBC UK's stated aim of getting two million more people on bikes, new approaches are needed.
The research team have been working with staff and management at British Cycling and HSBC to co-develop a novel, multi-component intervention for delivery at HSBC offices to increase the number of employees cycling regularly. The intervention has four main components: 1) a six (intermediate) or nine (foundation) week practical skills programme; 2) cycle provision (tune-up/loan/subsidised purchase) schemes; 3) establishment of a cycle-friendly workplace culture; 4) a cycle app. The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of this intervention in a before-and-after study in four HSBC offices around the UK.
Detailed Description
Objective: To assess the feasibility of the novel multicomponent workplace cycling intervention that aims to support more employees to cycle regularly. There are eight related research questions:
- Can sufficient (~20-30) employees per HSBC office be recruited to take part in the intervention?
- Can participants be retained in the study for up to three months?
- To what extent do participants receive the intervention as intended (exposure)?
- To what extent is the intervention acceptable to participants, those leading the intervention (local cycle champions), local HSBC office management and local bike providers?
- How feasible and acceptable is it to conduct a suite of measurements, including self-report questionnaires, objective physical activity and blood biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, in this setting?
- Does the intervention have potential to increase cycling and cycle journeys (likely primary outcomes in a future RCT)?
- To what extent do participants improve on a range of behavioural, psychological, clinical and work-related outcomes?
- Does the intervention have potential to be cost-effective, and what are the range of cost and benefit outcomes that are to be considered?
Setting and Participants: The study will be conducted at four HSBC offices across the UK, which have some degree of on-site cycle infrastructure (e.g. secure bike racks, showers, lockers). At each office, up to 40 participants will be recruited to either the foundation (nine-week) or intermediate (six-week) practical skills programme (up to 160 participants in total across the four sites). Participants will be self-identified infrequent cyclists (currently cycle less than once per month or not at all) aged 18 years or over who are current HSBC employees.
Interventions:
The intervention has four main components.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Na
- Intervention Model
- Single Group
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Any staff members who currently cycle less than once per month or not at all
Exclusion Criteria
- •Staff members who currently cycle more than once per month
Arms & Interventions
Feasibility
The cycle training intervention group
Intervention: Cycle Nation Multicomponent Intervention (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Participant adherence to the cycle training course
Time Frame: Through study completion to 9 weeks
Measurement of participant attendance to training sessions
Feasibility of intervention delivery: Investigator conducted interviews
Time Frame: 9 weeks
To measure the feasibility of delivery of all cycle training components by investigator conducted interviews with cycle champions.
Participant and Cycle Champion recruitment
Time Frame: Conducted pre baseline
Measeurement of the recruitment of participants and cycle champions.
Participant questionnaire: Likert scale of training course acceptability
Time Frame: 9 weeks
Self-reported questionnaire measured acceptability of all elements of intervention delivery
Feasibility of intervention delivery: Investigator conducted session observations
Time Frame: 9 weeks
To measure the feasibility of delivery of all cycle training components by investigator conducted session observations.
Cycling behaviour
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 13 weeks
Self reported number of people cycling regularly (both monthly and weekly) and number of cycling journeys for transport or leisure in the last month.
Participant and Cycle Champion retention
Time Frame: Change from baseline to 9 weeks
Measurement of the number of participants and cycle champions who undertake the training course to completion, as well as participant drop-out
Cycle Champion interviews: acceptability of cycle training course delivery
Time Frame: 9 weeks
Interview measured acceptability of all elements of intervention delivery (cycle champions)
Secondary Outcomes
- Objectively-measured incidental physical activity(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant questionnaire measured work-related productivity: Likert scale(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported number of days of work-related absenteeism/presenteeism(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported work-related stress: Likert scale(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported competence: 6 item Likert scale(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported self esteem: 10 item Rosenberg scale of self esteem(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self reported job satisfaction: Likert scale(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported autonomy: Likert scale(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported relatedness: 6 item Likert scale(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported wellbeing: 14 item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scales - WEMWBS(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Body mass(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Body Mass Index (BMI)(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported dietry intake: DINE questionnaire(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported perceptions of cycling safety: 5 item Likert scale(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Waist circumference(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant questionnaire reported motivation: 15 item Likert scale(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported monthly cycling activity: number of rides and duration(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported vitality: 4 item Bostic scale(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
- Participant self-reported general physical health: EQ-5D-5L(Change from baseline to 13 weeks)
Investigators
Professor Jason Gill
Professor of Cardiometabolic Health
University of Glasgow