Perceived StressNCT06289426
Online Yoga for Improving the Well-being of Desk-based Workers
A study testing Yoga in people with Perceived Stress and Depression, run by Kingston University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week online yoga intervention in improving the well-being and productivity of desk-based workers. The main questions it aims to answer are: How effective is an 8-week online yoga intervention in improving the well-being (mental and physical) and… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Perceived Stress, Depression, Anxiety
- What is being tested?
- Yoga
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 15 Feb 2024to 3 Oct 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Participants working remotely/hybrid aged 18 years and above.
- living and working in the UK.
- speak and understand English.
- Fulfil the health criteria (e.g., No current injuries ).
- Are willing to commit to an 8-week online streamed yoga course, three times a week, 60 min each session
Who cannot join
- Current yoga practice or related activities.
- Medical or psychiatric conditions limiting the practice of yoga in general
- Not suffering from any serious medical or psychiatric illness.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effectiveness of a Yoga Intervention in Improving the Wellbeing and Productivity of Desk-based Workers
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week online yoga intervention in improving the well-being and productivity of desk-based workers. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- How effective is an 8-week online yoga intervention in improving the well-being (mental and physical) and productivity (work engagement and job performance) of the yoga group compared with passive controls?
- Are there any differences in well-being and work-related measures between the yoga and control groups?
Participants in the yoga group will practice yoga three days a week for 8 weeks and will be compared with a wait-listed control group, which will continue with the usual routine for 8 weeks. Researchers will evaluate the impact of yoga on the well-being and productivity of desk-based workers.
Read the detailed description
Office workers are reported to spend 75% of their working day sitting (Mansoubi et al., 2016) and up to 10 hours across the whole day on workdays (Clemes et al., 2014). This presents a significant challenge to workforce well-being because of the increasing prevalence of remote work globally. A recent survey by the Office for National Statistics found that as of November 2022, the top four sectors in the UK using, or intending to use, increased homeworking as a permanent business model were those consisting of desk-based or office workers as their employees; viz information and communication (43.3%), professional scientific and technical activities (29.4%), education (17.2%), and administrative and support service activities (14.3%) (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2022).
The most common problems among desk-based workers compared to any other occupational groups include the musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck and shoulders, wrists and hands, lower back, and upper extremities (AlOmar et al., 2021; Basakci Calik et al., 2022; Besharati et al., 2020; Bontrup et al., 2019; Mohammadipour et al., 2018). Furthermore, high sedentary behaviour is also associated with a greater risk of anxiety (Teychenne et al., 2015), depression (Hallgren et al.; Wang et al., 2019), perceived stress, particularly in white-collar employees (Dėdelė et al., 2019), adverse mental health (Hamer et al., 2014), lower job satisfaction and greater fatigue (Rosenkranz et al., 2020). Office workers, in particular, have been found to have a higher prevalence of common mental health disorders compared to other occupations in the UK (Stansfeld et al., 2011). Work-related ill health is also a significant concern for employers because of the productivity loss resulting in a substantial financial burden to the organizations (Griffiths et al., 2011; Johnston et al., 2008).
Yoga has been accepted as a holistic practice similar to mindfulness with the added advantage of components like postures (asana) and breathing practices (pranayama), providing physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual benefits (Gordon, 2013; Vergeer et al., 2021). As a multi-component practice, yoga can provide a holistic approach to managing the consequences of prolonged desk-based work. It appears to be a suitable and safe therapy that may improve pain and functional outcomes connected to a range of musculoskeletal conditions in a clinically relevant manner (Ward et al., 2013). Yoga has also shown positive effects on the mental health of various employee types, including office workers, as per two systematic reviews and a meta-analysis (Valencia et al., 2019; Valle et al., 2020). The rising prevalence of desk-based work and its likelihood of representing a larger proportion of the future workforce underlines the timeliness of this study.
Therefore, the study aims to explore the effectiveness of an 8-week yoga intervention in improving the well-being (mental and physical) and productivity (work engagement and job performance) of the yoga group compared with passive controls.
- Conditions
- Perceived Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Compassion
- Being tested
- Yoga
- Medical subject headings
- Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Musculoskeletal Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
YogaOther
The yoga program will consist of body awareness, meditation, poses, breathing practices, relaxation, and positive affirmations in Sanskrit and English.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Yoga - Group S | Experimental | The experimental group will participate in 8 weeks of live online yoga classes, 3 times a week for 60 minutes each session. The yoga program will be designed based on previous evidence and personal experience of yoga experts and researchers. Receives: Other: Yoga |
| Control - Group L | No intervention | The control group will be waitlisted and will continue with the usual routine for 8 weeks. They will participate in 8-week yoga classes after the completion of the study. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Perceived Stress Scale
The questions in this scale ask about your feelings and thoughts during the last month. In each case, you will be asked to indicate how often you felt or thought a certain way.
Measured: 8 Weeks
PROMIS-Anxiety Short form
The 7-item PROMIS Anxiety Short Form assesses the pure domain of anxiety in individuals age 18 and older.
Measured: 8 Weeks
The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS)
The SWEMWBS is a short version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). The WEMWBS was developed to enable the monitoring of mental wellbeing in the general population and the evaluation of projects, programmes and policies which aim to improve mental wellbeing.
Measured: 8 Weeks
The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
The trait MAAS is a 15-item scale designed to assess a core characteristic of mindfulness, namely, a receptive state of mind in which attention, informed by a sensitive awareness of what is occurring in the present, simply observes what is taking place.
Measured: 8 Weeks
The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ)
The Cornell questionnaire was used to determine the level of pain among office employees in response to rest breaks and ergonomic modifications. Musculoskeletal discomforts, particularly pain severity among office employees, can be collected by the Cornell questionnaire shown to be a valid and reliable tool.
Measured: 8 Weeks
Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF)
The Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form (SCS-SF) is a 12-item self-report measure that is used by adults to measure their capacity for self-compassion - the ability to hold one's feelings of suffering with a sense of warmth, connection and concern.
Measured: 8 Weeks
The Compassion Scale (CS)
The CS has the same general structure as the SCS and measures compassion for others.
Measured: 8 Weeks
Uterecht Work Engagment Scale-Short Form (UWES -9)
The UWES utilizes three scales to determine the level of work engagement:
Vigor, dedication, and absorption. It is a test of how to measure work engagement both on an individual and on group level: vigor, dedication, and absorption.
Measured: 8 Weeks
Work Ability Index (WAI)
It measures current work ability compared to highest work ability ever.
Measured: 8 Weeks
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CES-D-R 10)
This scale is a self-report measure of depression.
Measured: 8 Weeks
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
HRV is simply a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. This variation is controlled by a primitive part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system (ANS). It works behind the scenes, automatically regulating our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and digestion among other key tasks. But in recent years, companies have launched apps and wearable heart rate monitors that monitor HRV. We are using a Polar H10 heart rate sensor to measure HRV of participants to see physiological changes in stress levels due to practising yoga.
Measured: 8 Weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Mar 2024
- Study start15 Feb 2024
- Primary completion15 Sep 2024
- Study completion3 Oct 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Perceived StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Kingston University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Vipin Wadhen, MPhil, Principal investigator, Kingston University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06289426
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- KU3339
- Status last verified
- Oct 2024
- First submitted
- 26 Feb 2024
- Last updated
- 26 Oct 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All IPD that underlie results in a publication.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Oct 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effectiveness of a Yoga Intervention in Improving the Wellbeing and Productivity of Desk-based Workers
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06289426
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- KU3339
- Conditions
- Perceived Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, Compassion
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Kingston UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 3 Oct 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week online yoga intervention in improving the well-being and productivity of desk-based workers. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- How effective is an 8-week online yoga intervention in improving the well-being (mental and physical) and productivity (work engagement and job performance) of the yoga group compared with passive controls?
- Are there any differences in well-being and work-related measures between the yoga and control groups?
Participants in the yoga group will practice yoga three days a week for 8 weeks and will be compared with a wait-listed control group, which will continue with the usual routine for 8 weeks. Researchers will evaluate the impact of yoga on the well-being and productivity of desk-based workers.
Detailed description
Office workers are reported to spend 75% of their working day sitting (Mansoubi et al., 2016) and up to 10 hours across the whole day on workdays (Clemes et al., 2014). This presents a significant challenge to workforce well-being because of the increasing prevalence of remote work globally. A recent survey by the Office for National Statistics found that as of November 2022, the top four sectors in the UK using, or intending to use, increased homeworking as a permanent business model were those consisting of desk-based or office workers as their employees; viz information and communication (43.3%), professional scientific and technical activities (29.4%), education (17.2%), and administrative and support service activities (14.3%) (Office for National Statistics (ONS), 2022).
The most common problems among desk-based workers compared to any other occupational groups include the musculoskeletal symptoms of the neck and shoulders, wrists and hands, lower back, and upper extremities (AlOmar et al., 2021; Basakci Calik et al., 2022; Besharati et al., 2020; Bontrup et al., 2019; Mohammadipour et al., 2018). Furthermore, high sedentary behaviour is also associated with a greater risk of anxiety (Teychenne et al., 2015), depression (Hallgren et al.; Wang et al., 2019), perceived stress, particularly in white-collar employees (Dėdelė et al., 2019), adverse mental health (Hamer et al., 2014), lower job satisfaction and greater fatigue (Rosenkranz et al., 2020). Office workers, in particular, have been found to have a higher prevalence of common mental health disorders compared to other occupations in the UK (Stansfeld et al., 2011). Work-related ill health is also a significant concern for employers because of the productivity loss resulting in a substantial financial burden to the organizations (Griffiths et al., 2011; Johnston et al., 2008).
Yoga has been accepted as a holistic practice similar to mindfulness with the added advantage of components like postures (asana) and breathing practices (pranayama), providing physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual benefits (Gordon, 2013; Vergeer et al., 2021). As a multi-component practice, yoga can provide a holistic approach to managing the consequences of prolonged desk-based work. It appears to be a suitable and safe therapy that may improve pain and functional outcomes connected to a range of musculoskeletal conditions in a clinically relevant manner (Ward et al., 2013). Yoga has also shown positive effects on the mental health of various employee types, including office workers, as per two systematic reviews and a meta-analysis (Valencia et al., 2019; Valle et al., 2020). The rising prevalence of desk-based work and its likelihood of representing a larger proportion of the future workforce underlines the timeliness of this study.
Therefore, the study aims to explore the effectiveness of an 8-week yoga intervention in improving the well-being (mental and physical) and productivity (work engagement and job performance) of the yoga group compared with passive controls.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Yoga - Group S | Experimental | Other: YogaThe experimental group will participate in 8 weeks of live online yoga classes, 3 times a week for 60 minutes each session. The yoga program will be designed based on previous evidence and personal experience of yoga experts and researchers. |
| Control - Group L | No intervention | –The control group will be waitlisted and will continue with the usual routine for 8 weeks. They will participate in 8-week yoga classes after the completion of the study. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Participants working remotely/hybrid aged 18 years and above.
- living and working in the UK.
- speak and understand English.
- Fulfil the health criteria (e.g., No current injuries ).
- Are willing to commit to an 8-week online streamed yoga course, three times a week, 60 min each session
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Current yoga practice or related activities.
- Medical or psychiatric conditions limiting the practice of yoga in general
- Not suffering from any serious medical or psychiatric illness.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| YogaThe yoga program will consist of body awareness, meditation, poses, breathing practices, relaxation, and positive affirmations in Sanskrit and English. | Other | Yoga - Group S |
Primary outcome
Perceived Stress Scale
Time frame: 8 Weeks
The questions in this scale ask about your feelings and thoughts during the last month. In each case, you will be asked to indicate how often you felt or thought a certain way.
PROMIS-Anxiety Short form
Time frame: 8 Weeks
The 7-item PROMIS Anxiety Short Form assesses the pure domain of anxiety in individuals age 18 and older.
The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS)
Time frame: 8 Weeks
The SWEMWBS is a short version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). The WEMWBS was developed to enable the monitoring of mental wellbeing in the general population and the evaluation of projects, programmes and policies which aim to improve mental wellbeing.
The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
Time frame: 8 Weeks
The trait MAAS is a 15-item scale designed to assess a core characteristic of mindfulness, namely, a receptive state of mind in which attention, informed by a sensitive awareness of what is occurring in the present, simply observes what is taking place.
The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ)
Time frame: 8 Weeks
The Cornell questionnaire was used to determine the level of pain among office employees in response to rest breaks and ergonomic modifications. Musculoskeletal discomforts, particularly pain severity among office employees, can be collected by the Cornell questionnaire shown to be a valid and reliable tool.
Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF)
Time frame: 8 Weeks
The Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form (SCS-SF) is a 12-item self-report measure that is used by adults to measure their capacity for self-compassion - the ability to hold one's feelings of suffering with a sense of warmth, connection and concern.
The Compassion Scale (CS)
Time frame: 8 Weeks
The CS has the same general structure as the SCS and measures compassion for others.
Uterecht Work Engagment Scale-Short Form (UWES -9)
Time frame: 8 Weeks
The UWES utilizes three scales to determine the level of work engagement: Vigor, dedication, and absorption. It is a test of how to measure work engagement both on an individual and on group level: vigor, dedication, and absorption.
Work Ability Index (WAI)
Time frame: 8 Weeks
It measures current work ability compared to highest work ability ever.
Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CES-D-R 10)
Time frame: 8 Weeks
This scale is a self-report measure of depression.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Time frame: 8 Weeks
HRV is simply a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. This variation is controlled by a primitive part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system (ANS). It works behind the scenes, automatically regulating our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and digestion among other key tasks. But in recent years, companies have launched apps and wearable heart rate monitors that monitor HRV. We are using a Polar H10 heart rate sensor to measure HRV of participants to see physiological changes in stress levels due to practising yoga.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Oct 2024.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All IPD that underlie results in a publication.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Vipin Wadhen, MPhil principal investigator
Kingston University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Yoga in people with Perceived Stress and Depression, run by Kingston University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Oct 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Perceived Stress Scale (time frame: 8 Weeks). The study lists 11 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Oct 2024.