Personalized Approach for Promoting Physical Activity in Mayo Clinic Physicians
Condition: Weight; Well Being
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of the study is to determine if providing physicians with a walking workstation,
      exercise counseling, and accelerometer feedback about activity will increase physician
      activity.
    

Detailed description: 
      20 physicians will be given an activity monitoring accelerometer (GRUVE from MUVE, inc.) for
      2 weeks prior to starting the study (without feedback) and will continue to have their
      activity monitored for the duration of the study. The accelerometer (monitors movement and
      accurately estimates physical activity energy expenditure). The physicians will be randomized
      to 12 weeks with accelerometer monitoring but no feedback or counseling (control) or to 12
      weeks of accelerometer monitoring (experimental) with feedback about activity levels and 20
      minute weekly counseling sessions on how to increase activity (including walking while
      working). In the 12 week period where physicians receive feedback and counseling, they will
      also be provided a walking workstation. The walking workstation (assembled by the
      investigators) has a computer keyboard, computer monitor and telephone attached to an
      exercise treadmill. This allows the user to walk at 1 mile per hour while dictating, typing,
      responding to e-mail, etc. The treadmill can be placed in an examining room if the physician
      wishes to use it while dictating notes or it can be placed in a separate office.

      Those physicians assigned to monitoring only for the first 12 weeks will then receive
      monitoring plus feedback, counseling, and walking workstation use for the next 12 weeks.
      Those physicians assigned to feedback, counseling, and walking workstation use for the first
      12 weeks will continue to receive accelerometer feedback but will no longer receive
      counseling or use a walking workstation for the subsequent 12 weeks.

      Ten physicians will complete the above for the first 26 weeks of the study and 10 physicians
      will complete the above for the last 26 weeks of the study.

      The time line of the study is as follows:

      12 Wks Experimental → 12 Wks Control 10 MDs (Wk 1-26) → 2 wks Monitor 12 Wks control → 12 Wks
      Experimental

      12 Wks Experimental → 12 Wks Control 10 MDs (Wk 27-52) → 2 wks Monitor 12 Wks control → 12
      Wks Experimental

      In summary, physicians use an accelerometer without feedback while in the control group. In
      the experimental group physicians receive three interventions: accelerometer with feedback,
      exercise counseling, and the use of a walking workstation (treadmill desk).
    

Intervention name(s): GRUVE accelerometer (MUVE, inc.); walking workstation; exercise counseling
Intervention type(s): Other; Other; Procedure
Intervention description(s): Physicians in the experimental group will be given an accelerometer for 2 weeks (without feedback) prior to starting the study and will continue to have their activity monitored for the duration of the study. The accelerometer monitors movement and accurately estimates physical activity energy expenditure. They will receive feedback about their activity for the remainder of the trial. Physicians in the control group will wear the accelerometer but not receive feedback for the first 14 weeks of the trial. They will receive feedback for the last 12 weeks of the trial as they crossover to the experimental group.; The physicians in the experimental group will be provided with a walking workstation. The walking workstation has a computer keyboard, computer monitor and telephone attached to an exercise treadmill (assembled by the investigators). This allows the user to walk at 1 mile per hour while dictating, typing, responding to e-mail, etc. The treadmill can be placed in an examining room if the physician wishes to use it while dictating notes or it can be placed in a separate office. For the last 12 weeks of the study the experimental group will not use the walking workstation while the control grop will use the workstation (crossover).; After the first two weeks of baseline data collection, the experimental group will receive exercise counseling for the next 12 weeks. They will be advised to make use of the accelerometer and the walking workstation as well as how to increase their activity in other ways. This group will not receive exercise counseling for the last 12 weeks of the study while the control group will cross over and receive exercise counseling for the last 12 weeks of the study (the control group will not receive exercise counseling for the first 14 weeks of the study).
Other intervention name(s): treadmill desk
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Activity level; Weight; Body Fat; Well Being