Key result
An 8-week web-based stress management program with coaching and biofeedback in 16 office workers achieved 75% retention, leading to a planned second preparation phase to improve the protocol.
Why the study?
Work-related stress impairs performance and health, and the addition of brief coaching and biofeedback to an 8-week web-based program needed piloting using the multiphase optimization strategy.
Does the addition of health coaching and heart rate variability biofeedback to an 8-week web-based self-help program demonstrate feasibility and acceptability in adult office workers?
RCT (n=16)
2x2x2x2 factorial
Does the addition of health coaching and heart rate variability biofeedback to an 8-week web-based self-help program demonstrate feasibility and acceptability in adult office workers?
A pilot study of a web-based stress management program with coaching and biofeedback demonstrated 75% retention and identified areas for intervention improvement before a larger optimization trial.
BACKGROUND Work-related stress is associated with poor job performance and negative health outcomes. Changing health behaviors through corporate wellness programs can improve physical and mental health and help employees manage stress. This project sought to pilot the potential addition of brief coaching and biofeedback to an 8-week web-based self-help program to improve employee stress using the multiphase optimization strategy. OBJECTIVE This study aims to determine which candidate components will be tested in a later optimization phase and at what dose they will be tested, examine the feasibility and acceptability of delivering the different components, investigate whether the outcomes can be feasibly measured, and review evidence to build a conceptual model before the optimization phase. METHODS The study was positioned within the preparation phase of the multiphase optimization strategy. It is a 2×2×2×2 design with 4 components: 2 types of health coaching and 2 types of biofeedback. All components were tested by turning them on or off. A total of 16 adult office workers (mean age 40, SD 14.3 years; n=15 women) completed an 8-week self-paced web-based stress management and health behavior change program and were randomly assigned to 1 of the 16 conditions, created from a combination of the 4 candidate components. Assessments included web analytics, surveys, and interviews regarding program recommendations, likes, and dislikes. RESULTS Findings from the interviews provided suggestions to improve the intervention (eg, separating wellness from stress content) and trial conduct (eg, streamlining the onboarding process). On average, participants logged into the wellness program 83 times (range 36-291), with 75% (12/16) participant retention and 67% (8/12) survey completion. There were no reported problems with coaching or obtaining data from interviews or apps. The interview findings suggested potential mediators to include and assess in a future conceptual model. CONCLUSIONS The results provided areas to improve the intervention content and trial methods. Instead of progressing to the next scheduled large-scale optimization phase, our plan to iterate through a second preparation phase after making changes to the protocol, apps, and corporate coaching partner. CLINICALTRIAL
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Locke et al. (2023) conducted an RCT in Work-related stress (n=16). Health coaching and heart rate variability biofeedback added to a web-based self-help program vs. Components turned off was evaluated on Feasibility and acceptability (participant retention). An 8-week web-based stress management program with coaching and biofeedback in 16 office workers achieved 75% retention, leading to a planned second preparation phase to improve the protocol.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: