Brad Wipfli

An examination of serotonin and psychological variables in the relationship between exercise and mental health

Research has revealed that exercise is effective for reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. The mechanisms by which these reductions occur, however, have not been widely studied. To examine several potential theories, a prospective, randomized, 7‐week exercise intervention was conducted. Untrained participants were randomly assigned to an aerobic exercise group or to a stretching‐control group. Participants completed several questionnaires to assess psychological variables, including measures of depression and anxiety, and blood was drawn at pre‐ and post‐test to measure serum serotonin levels. A mixed‐design ANOVA revealed that the exercise group had lower levels of depression than the stretching‐control group after the intervention. The exercise group also showed a larger percentage decrease in serotonin than the stretching‐control group. This reduction in blood serotonin after exercise is similar to the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Additionally, percent change in serotonin was found to partially mediate the relationship between exercise and depression.

Sleep, Dietary, and Exercise Behavioral Clusters Among Truck Drivers With Obesity: Implications for Interventions.

Objective: The objectives of the study were to describe a sample of truck drivers, identify clusters of drivers with similar patterns in behaviors affecting energy balance (sleep, diet, and exercise), and test for cluster differences in health, safety, and psychosocial factors. Methods: Participants’ (n = 452, body mass index M = 37.2, 86.4% male) self-reported behaviors were dichotomized prior to hierarchical cluster analysis, which identified groups with similar behavior covariation. Cluster differences were tested with generalized estimating equations. Results: Five behavioral clusters were identified that differed significantly in age, smoking status, diabetes prevalence, lost work days, stress, and social support, but not in body mass index. Cluster 2, characterized by the best sleep quality, had significantly lower lost workdays and stress than other clusters. Conclusions: Weight management interventions for drivers should explicitly address sleep, and may be maximally effective after establishing socially supportive work environments that reduce stress exposures.

The Effects of Target Behavior Choice and Self-Management Skills Training on Compliance With Behavioral Self-Monitoring

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate two potential methods for increasing participant compliance with behavioral self-monitoring (BSM). Design. A randomized 2 × 2 factorial design was used to evaluate the effects of target behavior choice (choice vs. assigned) and self-management skills training (training vs. no-training) on BSM compliance. In the choice manipulation, participants either chose or were assigned one of seven types of healthful or safe behaviors to self-monitor. In the training manipulation, participants either completed computer-based self-management skills training or received no training. Participants were then asked to complete daily BSM for 2 weeks. Setting. The study was conducted at a university and teaching hospital. Subjects. Participants (N = 60) were predominantly university and hospital employees. Measures. The primary dependent measure was percent compliance with BSM. Analysis. A factorial analysis of variance of compliance scores was performed. Results. Mean compliance with prescribed BSM was 52.6% (SD = 31.8). The main effect for choice was significant, with choice participants showing 18% higher BSM compliance than those in no-choice conditions (d = .59; p < .05). The effects of self-management skills training and the interaction term were both nonsignificant. Conclusion. Although self-management skills training did not appear to affect BSM compliance, offering individuals a choice in target behavior substantially increased both BSM compliance and self-reported behavior change. (Am J Health Promot 2011;25[5]:319-324.)

Return on Investment of a Work–Family Intervention: Evidence From the Work, Family, and Health Network

Objective: To estimate the return on investment (ROI) of a workplace initiative to reduce work–family conflict in a group-randomized 18-month field experiment in an information technology firm in the United States. Methods: Intervention resources were micro-costed; benefits included medical costs, productivity (presenteeism), and turnover. Regression models were used to estimate the ROI, and cluster-robust bootstrap was used to calculate its confidence interval. Results: For each participant, model-adjusted costs of the intervention were

Weight-loss maintenance among SHIFT pilot study participants 30-months after intervention.

690 and company savings were

Weight Control Intervention for Truck Drivers: The SHIFT Randomized Controlled Trial, United States

1850 (2011 prices). The ROI was 1.68 (95% confidence interval, −8.85 to 9.47) and was robust in sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: The positive ROI indicates that employers’ investment in an intervention to reduce work–family conflict can enhance their business. Although this was the first study to present a confidence interval for the ROI, results are comparable with the literature.

Caring for the Elderly at Work and Home: Can a Randomized Organizational Intervention Improve Psychological Health?

Poor health amongst commercial truck drivers is a dangerous and costly public health problem. The high rate of obesity in truckers increases their risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer1. Driver health problems, especially obesity and related conditions like sleep apnea, are related to driving errors and increased crash rates,2-4 impacting both driver safety and the safety of the general public. While truck drivers have less than half the crash rate per vehicle mile compared to passenger car drivers,5 large truck crashes are deadly. In 2010 there were 3,413 fatalities in large truck crashes, and 85% of those fatalities were passenger car occupants, pedestrians, or cyclists.6 Annual healthcare costs for overweight and obese drivers are also over

Cost and Return on Investment of a Work–family Intervention in the Extended Care Industry: Evidence From the Work, Family, and Health Network

200 higher compared to normal weight drivers.7 Furthermore, the costs to society per fatal large truck crash averaged

Process Evaluation of a Mobile Weight Loss Intervention for Truck Drivers

7.74 million during 2009 (in 2012 dollars).6,8 While obesity in trucking is a multi-level public health problem involving workers, supervisors, company policies, federal regulations, and built environments,9 effective weight-loss interventions are essential if we are to produce meaningful health and economic improvements for both drivers and society.

Characterizing hazards and injuries among home care workers.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of the Safety and Health Involvement For Truckers (SHIFT) intervention with a randomized controlled design. METHODS The multicomponent intervention was a weight-loss competition supported with body weight and behavioral self-monitoring, computer-based training, and motivational interviewing. We evaluated intervention effectiveness with a cluster-randomized design involving 22 terminals from 5 companies in the United States in 2012 to 2014. Companies were required to provide interstate transportation services and operate at least 2 larger terminals. We randomly assigned terminals to intervention or usual practice control conditions. We assessed participating drivers (n = 452) at baseline and 6 months. RESULTS In an intent-to-treat analysis, the postintervention difference between groups in mean body mass index change was 1.00 kilograms per meters squared (P < .001; intervention = -0.73; control = +0.27). Behavioral changes included statistically significant improvements in fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. CONCLUSIONS Results establish the effectiveness of a multicomponent and remotely administered intervention for producing significant weight loss among commercial truck drivers.