Abstract
Introduction
Health care workers represent a work group of predominantly female workers, generally characterized by low physical capacity (cardiovascular fitness), high prevalence of overweight/obesity, and low degree of physical activity at leisure time. The combination of these factors makes health care workers a high-risk group for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and hypertension. In addition, health care workers generally have high physical demanding work tasks, which expose them to physical loads that may impair their musculoskeletal health, work ability, as well as perceived physical exertion during work. This may lead to consequences like sick absence and early retirement from work. Over the last decades, several workplace health promotion initiatives have been implemented for improving different health outcomes, and to promote lifestyle changes among health care workers, with varying degree of success. Based on previous studies demonstrating several health beneficial effects from soccer training among untrained middle-aged females, as well as lack of evidence for the commercialized health effects from the recent years highly popular fitness concept Zumba, we wanted to evaluate short and long term health effects from these two physical activities among female hospital employees. The primary outcome of the study was cardiovascular fitness (VO2max), whereas body composition, biomarkers in blood, musculoskeletal pain, as well as the work-related outcomes work ability and perceived physical exertion during work comprised the secondary outcomes. In addition, we measured the adherence to the training and drop-out throughout the intervention period.
Methods
A 40-weeks cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted on 107 female hospital employees at a hospital in Norway. The participants were randomised into a soccer group (n=37), a Zumba group (n=35) or a control group (n=35). Intervention effects for the two training groups were compared with the control group. The training was conducted outside working hours as 2-3 1-h sessions per week for the first 12 weeks, and continued as 1-2 h sessions for the last 28 weeks. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), blood pressure, fat percentage, bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), health indicators in blood, muscle pain intensity and duration, work ability, and rate of perceived physical exertion at work (RPE) were measured at baseline, and after 12 and 40 weeks.
Results
Both intervention groups showed a significant 5% improvement in VO2max compared to the control group after 12 weeks, and this improvement was maintained in the Zumba group after 40 weeks. After 12 weeks, the soccer group significantly decreased total body fat percentage (-1.1%) and total body fat mass (-1.0 kg) compared to the control group, whereas the Zumba group showed a significant decrease in total fat mass (-0.6 kg) with no improvement in fat percentage. After 40 weeks, both intervention groups reduced total body fat mass and fat percentage compared to the control group. After 12 weeks, both the soccer group (21%) and the Zumba group (10%) significantly improved the plasma osteocalcin compared to the control group, whereas only the soccer group showed the same effect after 40 weeks. Moreover, after 40 weeks the soccer group, but not the Zumba group, significantly increased the lower limb bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) compared to the control group. After 12 weeks, both intervention groups reduced the muscle pain intensity in the neck-shoulder region, whereas only the soccer group showed a reduction after 40 weeks. After 40 weeks, both intervention groups reduced the muscle pain duration in the neck-shoulder region. With regards to muscle pain in the lower back region or RPE during work, no intervention effects were found. However, after 12 weeks the Zumba group tended to improve the work ability compared to the control group.
Conclusion and perspectives
The present study indicates that workplace-initiated soccer and Zumba may have health-beneficial effects on VO2max, fat metabolism, bone markers in blood, as well as improvements in muscle pain in the neck-shoulder region after 12 weeks. In both groups, the short-term improvements in fat metabolism were maintained after 40 weeks, whereas the short-term improvement in VO2max was only observed in the Zumba group after 40 weeks. In the soccer group, the short-term improvements in bone mineralization, bone markers in blood and muscle pain intensity were maintained after 40 weeks. Moreover, both intervention groups revealed reduced duration of muscle pain in the neck-shoulder region after 40 weeks. In summary, the present study indicates that both soccer and Zumba may represent effective initiatives for improving the imbalance between high physical work demands and low VO2max/high prevalence of obesity among female hospital employees. Furthermore, the study suggests that both soccer and Zumba may decrease musculoskeletal pain, as well as improve bone markers in blood.
Health care workers represent a work group of predominantly female workers, generally characterized by low physical capacity (cardiovascular fitness), high prevalence of overweight/obesity, and low degree of physical activity at leisure time. The combination of these factors makes health care workers a high-risk group for non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and hypertension. In addition, health care workers generally have high physical demanding work tasks, which expose them to physical loads that may impair their musculoskeletal health, work ability, as well as perceived physical exertion during work. This may lead to consequences like sick absence and early retirement from work. Over the last decades, several workplace health promotion initiatives have been implemented for improving different health outcomes, and to promote lifestyle changes among health care workers, with varying degree of success. Based on previous studies demonstrating several health beneficial effects from soccer training among untrained middle-aged females, as well as lack of evidence for the commercialized health effects from the recent years highly popular fitness concept Zumba, we wanted to evaluate short and long term health effects from these two physical activities among female hospital employees. The primary outcome of the study was cardiovascular fitness (VO2max), whereas body composition, biomarkers in blood, musculoskeletal pain, as well as the work-related outcomes work ability and perceived physical exertion during work comprised the secondary outcomes. In addition, we measured the adherence to the training and drop-out throughout the intervention period.
Methods
A 40-weeks cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted on 107 female hospital employees at a hospital in Norway. The participants were randomised into a soccer group (n=37), a Zumba group (n=35) or a control group (n=35). Intervention effects for the two training groups were compared with the control group. The training was conducted outside working hours as 2-3 1-h sessions per week for the first 12 weeks, and continued as 1-2 h sessions for the last 28 weeks. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), blood pressure, fat percentage, bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), health indicators in blood, muscle pain intensity and duration, work ability, and rate of perceived physical exertion at work (RPE) were measured at baseline, and after 12 and 40 weeks.
Results
Both intervention groups showed a significant 5% improvement in VO2max compared to the control group after 12 weeks, and this improvement was maintained in the Zumba group after 40 weeks. After 12 weeks, the soccer group significantly decreased total body fat percentage (-1.1%) and total body fat mass (-1.0 kg) compared to the control group, whereas the Zumba group showed a significant decrease in total fat mass (-0.6 kg) with no improvement in fat percentage. After 40 weeks, both intervention groups reduced total body fat mass and fat percentage compared to the control group. After 12 weeks, both the soccer group (21%) and the Zumba group (10%) significantly improved the plasma osteocalcin compared to the control group, whereas only the soccer group showed the same effect after 40 weeks. Moreover, after 40 weeks the soccer group, but not the Zumba group, significantly increased the lower limb bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) compared to the control group. After 12 weeks, both intervention groups reduced the muscle pain intensity in the neck-shoulder region, whereas only the soccer group showed a reduction after 40 weeks. After 40 weeks, both intervention groups reduced the muscle pain duration in the neck-shoulder region. With regards to muscle pain in the lower back region or RPE during work, no intervention effects were found. However, after 12 weeks the Zumba group tended to improve the work ability compared to the control group.
Conclusion and perspectives
The present study indicates that workplace-initiated soccer and Zumba may have health-beneficial effects on VO2max, fat metabolism, bone markers in blood, as well as improvements in muscle pain in the neck-shoulder region after 12 weeks. In both groups, the short-term improvements in fat metabolism were maintained after 40 weeks, whereas the short-term improvement in VO2max was only observed in the Zumba group after 40 weeks. In the soccer group, the short-term improvements in bone mineralization, bone markers in blood and muscle pain intensity were maintained after 40 weeks. Moreover, both intervention groups revealed reduced duration of muscle pain in the neck-shoulder region after 40 weeks. In summary, the present study indicates that both soccer and Zumba may represent effective initiatives for improving the imbalance between high physical work demands and low VO2max/high prevalence of obesity among female hospital employees. Furthermore, the study suggests that both soccer and Zumba may decrease musculoskeletal pain, as well as improve bone markers in blood.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|
| Forlag | Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen |
|---|---|
| Antal sider | 108 |
| ISBN (Trykt) | 978 87 9177 158 |
| Status | Udgivet - 2014 |