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The FLOW Pilot Study investigates the impact of the FLOW intervention on physical activity levels among deskbound employees. With alarming trends in chronic diseases linked to sedentary lifestyles, this study aims to assess changes in physical activity, emotional coping indices, and health-risk behaviors in a sample of 17 adults. Results indicate significant reductions in blood pressure, increased physical activity outside of work, and improvements in mood. Although limited by sample size and absence of a control group, findings advocate for larger, controlled studies to explore benefits further.
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Effectiveness of the FLOW Program Among Heavy Computer-Using Employees: A Pilot Study by Renee Nasajon, Psy.D., Jonathan N. Tobin, Ph.D., & Cory Mitchell, B.S.
FLOW Pilot Study: Background • alarming increase in incidence/prevalence of chronic diseases among working Americans during past decades. • growing tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle. • + correlation between lack of physical activity & development of chronic conditions (CVD’s, hypertension, colon cancer, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, RSI’s). • regular moderate levels of exercise can: • prevent development of chronic disease/ infectious diseases • improve cognitive performance • alleviate symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression.
FLOW Pilot Study: Objective • PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Evaluate effectiveness of FLOW intervention to increase employees’ levels of physical activity inside & outside working hours. • SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: Asses changes in emotional/coping indices (depression, stress, anxiety); in health-risk behaviors (smoking, caffeine consumption), & physiological measures (weight, BMI, BP).
FLOW Pilot Study: Methods • Repeated measures (pre-post) design • Sample . 17 healthy adult deskbound workers . from two HUDSON RIVER HEALTHCARE community centers (Peekskill, NY & Walden, NY) . ages 18-65 . 75% + time spent at desk • Exclusions . arteriosclerosis . hypoglycemia . high/low blood pressure . pregnancy, etc.
FLOW Pilot Study: Measures • Sociodemographics • Body Mass Index (BMI) • Diastolic/Systolic Blood Pressure (DBP & SBP) • Tobacco, alcohol, & caffeine consumption • Snacking • Physical activity outside of work • Bi-monthly self-report
FLOW Pilot Study: Measures • Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) • Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS; Hoddes, Zarcone, Smythe, Phillips, and Dement, 1973) • Quality of Life Index (QLI; Ferrans & Powers, 1985)
FLOW Pilot Study: Analysis • One way Analysis of Variance • Repeated Measures design • Chi-Square • Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (lowness) used to visually inspect significant findings
FLOW Pilot Study: Results Employees who participated in the FLOW Pilot Study showed: • Reduction of SBP & DBP (16 pts. p< .05 & 7 pts. p<.053) • Increased physical activity outside work (p< .05) • Improved levels of alertness/energy (p< .05) • Improvement in mood (trend)
Blood Pressure: decreases SBP ( 16 pts., p < 0.05; M = 16 pts) decreases DBP (7 pts., p < 0.053; M = 7 pts)
FLOW Pilot Study: Limitations • Small sample size • No control group • Short follow-up period • No objective measure of daily FLOW use frequency CONCLUSIONS Results from FLOW Pilot Study warrant a larger scale controlled study
References . Lovibond, S.H., & Lovibond, P.F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Sydney, Australia: Psychology Foundation of Australia. . Hoddes, E., Zarcone, V., Smythe, H., Phillips, R., & Dement, W.C. (1973). Quantification of sleepiness: A new approach. Psychophysiology, 10, 431-436 . Ferrans, C., & Powers, M. (1985). Quality of Life Index: Development and psychometric properties. Advances in Nursing Science, 8, 15-24.