Effectiveness of worksite physical activity counseling
doctoral thesis
The aim of this thesis was to describe the effectiveness of a particular worksite physical activity intervention involving individual counseling of workers. First, a summary of the existing literature is given as to the effectiveness of worksite physical activity programs. A strong evidence was found for a positive effect on physical activity and musculoskeletal disorders. The next section describes the influence of personalized feedback on one's own fitness and health profile. The results suggest that feedback can produce a small change in the subjective appraisal of one's own behavior. In section 4 the results are described of a randomized controlled trial evaluating a physical activity counseling intervention in the workplace setting. The intervention positively influenced vigorous-intensity physical activity, submaximal heart rate, percentage of body fat, and blood cholesterol. It did not have a significant effect on sick leave, and dit neither show significant differences between costs and benefits, nor a statistically significant cost-effectiveness ratio. The positive effects on physical activity and fitness could only be gained at higher costs.
Topics
TNO Identifier
173176
ISBN
90-5986-028-4
Publisher
TNO
Collation
192 p.
Place of publication
Hoofddorp