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

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Exposure to Nature During Lunch Breaks; Relaxation Exercises During Lunch Breaks
• Interventions: Behavioral: Relaxation during lunch break; Behavioral: Park walk during lunch break

• Registration Number: NCT02124837
• Lead Sponsor: Tampere University

Brief Summary

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.

Detailed 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.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-04
• Study First Submitted: 2014-04-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-04-24
• Study First Posted: 2014-04-28
• Primary Completion: 2014-11
• Study Completion: 2014-11
• Status Verified: 2014-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2014-12-01
• Last Update Posted: 2014-12-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 200

Inclusion Criteria

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

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Exclusion Criteria

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

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: FACTORIAL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Relaxation exercise during lunch break	Relaxation during lunch break	Participants perform relaxation exercises during each lunch break during work for a period of 2 working weeks.
Park walk during lunch break	Park walk during lunch break	Participants go for a walk in the closest park nearby each lunch break during work for a period of 2 working weeks.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Creativity	7 weeks	Questionnaire data
Health	7 weeks	Questionnaire data
Job performance	7 weeks	Questionnaire data
Salivary cortisol	7 weeks	Collection of saliva samples, 3 times per day, 2 times a week for a period of 7 weeks
Well-being	7 weeks	Questionnaire data
Blood pressure	7 weeks	Self-administered blood pressure measurements, 3 times per day, 2 days per week for a period of 7 weeks

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Tampere; 🇫🇮 Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland