Effectiveness of a supervised hospital-based physical exercise intervention to reduce stress in health care professionals
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v71.113710Keywords:
Mental health, physical activity, stress, workersAbstract
Introduction: Increased stress in the workplace has become one of the most frequent syndromes in the world of work. There are different interventions aimed at preventing stressors and reducing the severity or duration of symptoms. The World Health Organization recognizes the workplace as a priority for health promotion and workplace health programs result in a 25.3% decrease in sickness-related absenteeism, a 40.7% decrease in workers' compensation costs, a 24.2% decrease in disability management costs, and a savings of $5.81 for every $1 invested in employee wellness.
Objective: To this end, a randomized clinical trial was conducted on working staff at Araba University Hospital (90 professionals-45 per group) to evaluate the improvement of supervised physical exercise in improving professional-perceived stress versus recommendations for physical exercise.
Results: No statistically significant differences were observed in any of the variables evaluated. Discussion: In any case, and although the evidence is not conclusive, physical exercise at work improves the general health of workers.
This has a positive impact on the reduction of sick leave and absenteeism due to health reasons, increasing worker performance, productivity and resulting in economic savings for the company.
Conclusions: It would be advisable to promote this type of initiatives as they are cost-effective.
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