ABSTRACT
AIM: Sedentary behavior poses a serious health risk. Students in particular are highly affected by prolonged, uninterrupted periods of sitting due to routines in everyday university life, such as attending lectures, self-study periods in the library, etc. Whereas university students are mostly young and therefore appear to be healthy, evidence-based consequences of prolonged sitting may come to pass in prospective times. Therefore, primary prevention must be initiated to shield university students from the occurrence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Consequently, the study aims to evaluate a messenger-based intervention designed to reduce sedentary time among university students. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed in a randomized controlled trial with a convenience sample of thirty-four German university students. ActivPal devices (Pal Technologies Ltd., Glasgow) were applied to measure sedentary behavior objectively before and after a 3-week intervention of messages to interrupt sedentary time. An additional evaluation of the messages was carried out. RESULTS: Sedentary behavior decreased by about one hour in the intervention group. Explorative analysis shows a statistically significant, negative correlation between sedentary time at baseline and the change of sedentary behavior over time in the intervention group (r = - .81) indicating effectiveness of the intervention for the participants with the highest sedentary times at baseline. Additionally, the messages were considered appropriate by the participants. CONCLUSION: A reduction of sedentary time of one hour per day in the intervention group is practically significant. The current investigation had similar findings with prior studies where promising results for the reduction of sedentary behavior were observed through mobile-based interventions. The detected effects of the intervention in this pilot study demonstrate an opportunity for further research in this field.
ABSTRACT
Aim: Sedentary behavior is a severe and independent risk factor for health. According to current research, sitting time is at a dangerously high level. Especially young adults show a high prevalence compared to others. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a 6-week messenger-based intervention to reduce sedentary behavior in university students. Subject and methods: The 345 university students that enrolled were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 173) and control group (n = 172). Randomization and allocation to the trial group were computer assisted. The trial was conducted remotely, without any personal contact. A drop out of 276 participants led to a primary analysis of 71 (IG n = 41; CG n = 31) participants. Sedentary behavior was assessed online using the Heidelberg Questionnaire for the Assessment of Sitting Behavior, at 5 time points: baseline (T0), 2 weeks (Z1), 4 weeks (Z2) 6 weeks (end of the intervention, T1), and follow-up 4 weeks after intervention (T2). Results: Mixed ANOVA was carried out for T0 and T1 to reveal interaction effects between time and group. Mean differences show a highly practically and statistically relevant reduction in sitting time in the intervention group of 60 min between baseline and T1. No sustained effect of the intervention could be detected by analyzing sitting times at follow-up, 4 weeks after the end of the intervention. Conclusions: Reduction in sedentary behavior in the intervention group after 6 weeks shows that the intervention is practically and statistically relevant. Limitations concerning the assessment method (questionnaire) as well as the sample size should be considered. The trial serves as a pilot study. However, the positive outcome of sitting time reduction paves the way for further research in this field. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10389-022-01747-7.
ABSTRACT
So far, the only existing prerequisite to enter an academic institution is a specific diploma, like a high school diploma, or another comparable certified document. Other requirements may only be a numerus clausus for certain fields of study to pave the bureaucratic way for a prospective student into their university life. The way first year students dive into their first academic experiences is entirely left to themselves. (Soft) Skills and Competences that exceed the expertise of the chosen courses but are essential for this new, and very challenging, chapter of their lives are not taught to them. Therefore, student health promotion for young adults is essential to build and sustain a healthy lifestyle during their academic careers. Nevertheless, it is important to consider not only a student's perspective but also structural and organizational conditions within the academic institutions. The further development of Ilmarinen's concept of workability may help to construct a theoretical and empirically based concept to implement health-promoting conditions for a student health promotion system at universities. Ilmarinen's concept was chosen by the work group in terms of the structure, which may be adapted to a university since it can be seen as a student's workplace.
Subject(s)
Health Promotion , Universities , Humans , Prospective Studies , Students , Workplace , Young AdultABSTRACT
Resumo Objetivo: sistematizar estudos que abordam o tema da saúde dos professores universitários da grande área da saúde e os fatores ocupacionais condicionantes e determinantes de saúde associados, e realizar uma reflexão sobre o tema. Métodos: revisão integrativa descritiva e analítica realizada em bases bibliográficas eletrônicas brasileiras e internacionais, baseada em estudos publicados em português e inglês entre janeiro de 2005 e março de 2016. Resultados: as buscas e as aplicações dos critérios de seleção resultaram na inclusão de vinte estudos (três teses, cinco dissertações e doze artigos). No geral, os estudos apontam que os docentes identificam como aspectos negativos à saúde as condições físicas e psicológicas de trabalho e, como aspectos promotores da saúde, a satisfação com a profissão, envolvendo a produção e o compartilhamento sistematizado de saberes, e o impacto social que suas atividades promovem dentro e fora do ambiente de trabalho. Conclusão: evidências da percepção de docentes universitários da grande área da saúde sobre os seus próprios processos de saúde e adoecimento no trabalho apontam que as esferas pessoais, sociais e institucionais devem atuar conjuntamente para atender as complexas necessidades contemporâneas em saúde.
Abstract Objective: to systematize studies that address the occupational determinants of health of university health professors. Methods: descriptive and analytical integrative review conducted in Brazilian and international electronic databases, based on studies published in Portuguese and English between January 2005 and March 2016. Results: application of the selection criteria resulted in the inclusion of twenty studies (three master dissertations, five doctoral theses and twelve articles). Predominantly, the studies pointed out that professors identify physical and psychological working conditions as negative aspects to health and, as health promoting aspects, the satisfaction with their profession - involving production and systematized sharing of knowledge - and the social impacts that their activities exert in and outside their workplace. Conclusion: evidences of health professors’ perception on their own processes of health and illness at work indicate that personal, social and institutional spheres should work together to meet the contemporary complex health needs.
