GISMO - Geographical Information Support for Healthy Mobility
Condition: Health Behavior
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      GISMO combines spatial information with findings on the health effects of sustainable, active
      forms of mobility in the work environment in order to derive evidence-based decision-making
      bases for a health-promoting, operational mobility management. Existing approaches - with
      regard to spatial information systems, decision-support systems and health effects of active
      mobility - are considered and supplemented by our developments and investigations. Achieved
      non-personal results are provided through standardized web interfaces, ensuring integration
      into existing and prospective tools of an innovative and health-promoting mobility
      management.
    

Detailed description: 
      The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate
      activity as a minimum for a healthy daily routine. The average employee in Austria works on 5
      days a week and covers the distance from his place of residence to his place of work twice.
      This distance can be actively traveled (e.g., bicycle) or passively (e.g., car).

      Due to a moderate physical activity (intensity 4-6 METs, corresponding to 4-6 times resting
      energy conversion) of 15 minutes in one direction, only the active minimum requirement for
      everyday activity would be achieved by active mobility to and from the workplace.

      Design:

      2: 1 randomized controlled trial (intervention group: control group)

      Activities:

      Motivation of the employees by health care professionals of a sample company (Salzburger
      Landeskrankenanstalten AG, SALK) to use the public transport as well as the bicycle or
      footpath on the way from and to the workplace.

      Intervention A: Change from car to bicycle for at least 50% of the routes, n = 20-25
      Employees who have previously traveled exclusively by car and are living within a radius of
      ≤10 kilometers from the workplace are motivated by the GVPs to switch to a bicycle. In the
      case of appropriate proximity, employees can travel the entire path without motorized
      mobility. The greatest health benefit is to be expected by largely dispensing with motorized
      mobility at work. In the case of bad weather, cold or similar obstacles, a public transport
      or car can be used occasionally and exceptionally.

      Intervention B: Exit from public transport one or more stations earlier or enter one or more
      station later, n = 20-25 By extending the path to and from a stop, which is to be actively
      pursued, a health effect is expected. In the context of this intervention, the availability
      of time tickets will provide incentives for switching from car to public transport. In
      addition, the employees are motivated to use the next stop in order to extend the active
      distance. Access routes can also be covered on foot.

      Control group: Maintaining the mobility as before n = 20-25

      Method:

      Before and after the intervention phase of 1 year (to take into account seasonal effects or
      fluctuations), parameters relevant to health are collected. Finally, the results of the
      initial examination are compared with those of the final examination in order to examine the
      effects of healthy mobility on the workplace on cardiovascular risk profile, everyday
      activity, physical performance, quality of life, mobility behavior, body composition.

      The aim of this project is to generate data on the health effects of a healthy mobility.
    

Intervention name(s): Active Mobility
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): see detailed discription
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention