DagisWork-a Workplace Health Behaviour E-intervention

The main aim of the study is to test effectiveness of a multiple intervention program aimed at making positive changes to health behaviour and stress. Effectiveness of a 4 month workplace intervention, with virtual coaching and co-worker-support, will be assessed as changes in subjective and objective measures of stress, work ability, recovery and health behaviour.

Consequences of psychosocial stress can be seen in personnel's health such as long lasting imbalance between consumptive and restoring physiological processes (allostatic load, AL) that increase the risk of physical diseases and mental health problems and poor health behaviours. Chronic work stress induces adverse emotional and physical responses, which are triggered by perception of demands that exceed the person's capacity to cope (Folkman et al. 1986).

Health behaviour can be improved both by increasing personnel's' resources and removing stress-causing factors (Lamontagne et al. 2007). Mindfulness based cognitive therapy aims at increasing stress resources by developing emotional and behavioral experiences. It combines aspects of cognitive approach including dialectic behavior therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Mindfulness and acceptance-based interventions have positive consequences for physical activity and quality of life (Kangasniemi et al. 2015, Khoury et al. 2015). Novel results suggest that the approach is effective to reduce work stress also (Aikens et al. 2014). A four month intervention with virtual life habit coaching, individualised exercises and mindfulness-based techniques will be performed. The aim is to achieve significant and long lasting changes in life habits and stress of employees.

The extensive measurements including both self-evaluated and objective measurements together with multifaceted viewpoint provide profound knowledge of occupational health. They also create a comprehensive picture of preschool setting as an arena for healthy lifestyle and well-being. A new issue is the concert of different kinds of work load factors, and their interacting role in biomarkers for work stress. If proven effective, the health behaviour intervention tested in preschool environment, can be modified to suit also other occupational settings. The health economic evaluation, together with aforementioned measurement, offer information for different stakeholders on whether interventions are economically worthwhile for participating municipalities and occupational health care. The results of study are beneficial also for policy-makers in different sectors.

Aims and hypotheses Primary hypotheses

1. The intervention has a positive effects on long-term physiological adaptation to stress, biological health risk factors, recovery, and sickness absences among personnel.
2. The interventions directly enhance personnel's health behavior including eating habits, physical activity and experienced stress.

Secondary hypotheses

1. The physiological change in stress regulating systems caused by work related factors (psychosocial, cognitive, and physical) is associated with personnel's change health risk load (AL) and recovery.
2. Subjective psychological and cognitive factors of stress, recovery and even mental health symptoms are individually related to physiological responses, which can be characterized more precisely by the combined assessment of hormonal, neuronal responses and new methods of system biology.
3. The intervention will have positive economic effect (costs and benefits).
4. The intervention will have positive changes in self-efficasy

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Voluntary
* Working in municipal city of Espoo or Kouvola in preschool

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnancy
* Retirement during the intervention