Occupational life-style programme over 12 months and changes of metabolic risk profile, vascular function, and physical fitness in blue-collar workers

Nina Schaller; Katharina Blume; Markus Hornig; Ludger Senker; Bernd Wolfarth; Tibor Schuster; Martin Halle; Katrin Esefeld; MOVING (MOtiVation, INtervention and Vascular chanGe) study group

doi:10.1186/s12995-023-00370-w

Occupational life-style programme over 12 months and changes of metabolic risk profile, vascular function, and physical fitness in blue-collar workers

J Occup Med Toxicol. 2023 Mar 22;18(1):4. doi: 10.1186/s12995-023-00370-w.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, University Hospital (Klinikum rechts der Isar), Technical University of Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 56, 80992, Munich, Germany. nina.schaller@mri.tum.de.
² Department of Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, University Hospital (Klinikum rechts der Isar), Technical University of Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 56, 80992, Munich, Germany.
³ Department of Sports Medicine, Humboldt-University, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
⁴ Moving - Gesundheitsmanagement GmbH, Berlin, Germany.
⁵ Occupational Medicine Centers Northwest e.V. (Arbeitsmedizinische Zentren Nordwest e.V.), AMZ Lingen (Ems), Nordhorn, Germany.
⁶ BP Europa SE, Lingen Refinery, Lingen (Ems), Germany.
⁷ Department of Sports Medicine, Institute for Applied Scientific Training, Leipzig, Germany.
⁸ Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
⁹ DZHK (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung), Partner Site Munich, Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Purpose: Occupational health programmes have been successfully implemented to improve body composition, physical fitness and cardiovascular risk. However, most programmes have been small and have not included long-term evaluation. Therefore, we evaluated a twelve-month life-style change programme in a German refinery.

Methods: We offered a supervised six-week endurance exercise programme (2 × 90 min/week), starting after a two-day life-style seminar. After the active intervention and a half-day refresher seminar, employees were encouraged to continue exercising over one year on their own, with monthly supervised sessions to maintain adherence. Anthropometry, bicycle ergometry, cardio-metabolic risk profile, inflammatory parameters, and vascular function e.g. endothelial function was studied at baseline, after three and after twelve months.

Results: Of 550 employees, n = 327 (age 40.8 ± 9.7 years, 88% males) participated in the study. Twelve-month intervention was associated with a reduced waist circumference (92.6 ± 12.2 to 90.8 ± 11.7 cm, 95% confidence interval for the mean change (CI): -2.5 to -1.1 cm) and a gain in maximal exercise capacity (202 ± 39.6 to 210 ± 38.9 Watt; 95% CI: + 5.1 to + 10.9 Watt). Metabolic and inflammatory parameters likewise HbA_1c and C-reactive protein improved in central tendency at a local 95% level of confidence. Vascular function e.g. Reactive-Hyperaemia-Index revealed a slight reduction, whereas no statistically robust changes in mean Cardio-Ankle-Vascular-Index and mean Ankle-Brachial-Index were observed.

Conclusion: Health education added by a six-week supervised exercise programme was associated with minor long-term twelve-month improvements of body composition as well as physical fitness and a concomitant improvement of inflammatory state. These changes were, however, not clinically relevant and not accompanied by statistically robust improvements of vascular function.

Trial registration: ClinTrialsGov: NCT01919632; date of registration: August 9, 2013; retrospectively registered.

Keywords: Cardio-metabolic risk; Endothelium; Exercise; Occupational medicine; Prevention.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01919632

Abstract

Associated data

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