Do Change in Life Style Improve Work Ability?
Condition: Obesity, Morbid; Sick-leave; Work Related Illnesses; Life Style
MeSH terms: Obesity, Morbid
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The main aim of this Cohort trial is to get more information about how life style changes
      affect work participation for people with BMI above 30. The information can contribute to
      improving the quality of occupational rehabilitation programs in the specialized health care
      services and for others who work with weight loss programs and work related rehabilitation
      programs.
    

Detailed description: 
      The goal of rehabilitation, in general, is to help people to reach and maintain their optimal
      function and copying capabilities and to promote independence and participation in society.
      For occupational rehabilitation is the goal also to increase function and work ability to
      prevent the individuals permanent to fall out of working life. People with high BMI needs
      beside work rehabilitation also focus on life style changes to reduce consequences of
      obesity. The Central Norway Regional Health Authority (HMN RHF) has initiated action to
      reduce work absence and consequence of obesity by introducing a work related rehabilitation
      program for people with BMI above 30. This program combines work participation and life style
      changes and exists only in two institutions in Norway. The goal of the program is to increase
      function and work ability and weight loss. The program is new, and few documents exist on the
      effect and the correlation between life style changes and work ability. There is also need to
      question whether obesity is the reason for work absence or is there other factors that affect
      work ability. This trial wants to follow-up a group of people who have been participating
      occupational rehabilitation at Muritunet.
    

Intervention name(s): Occupational rehabilitation
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The participants in the occupational rehabilitation program get both practical and theoretical intervention in groups. Four main interventions; cognitive therapy, physical activity, diets and training in work-oriented approach. The rehabilitation stay is as followed:
Four weeks with an institutional stay at Muritunet (BL)
Follow-up;
Eight weeks, telephone contact between therapist at Muritunet and the participant.
16 weeks, video conference on SKYPE between all the participants and a therapist. Lecture on diets.
28 weeks, Follow-up at Muritunet. Central themes that day is education, conversation, physical test, and forms. (T1)
40 weeks, telephone contact between therapist at Muritunet and the participant.
52 weeks, Follow-up at Muritunet. Central themes that day is education, conversation, physical test, and forms. (T2)
Other intervention name(s): Life style treatment
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Intervention model description: The study is a Clinical cohort trial with a pseudo prospective, parallel mixed methods design. Questionnaires and register data at baseline, T1, and T2. Focus group interviews at T3, and register data at T4.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Health Services Research
Keywords: Obesity; Occupational rehabilitation; Sick leave; Life style treatment