Employment Based Project Proposal

EMPLOYMENT BASED PROJECT PROPOSAL
NDILIPOMWENE SHEEKULI
40339956
EXPLORING EVIDENCE TO IMPROVE PRACTICE
NMS111174

EMPLOYMENT BASED PROJECT PROPOSAL1
EMPLOYEMNT BASED PROJECT PROPOSAL (EFFECTIVENESS OF EXERCISE AND
NON-EXERCISE BASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO REDUCE WORKPLACE SITTING
TIME AND IMPROVE BODY MASS INDEX AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE ACROSS
EMPLOYEES - A MIXED METHODS PROJECT)

EMPLOYMENT BASED PROJECT PROPOSAL2
Abstract
This project proposal aims to: assess the effectiveness of exercise and non-exercise based
physical activity to reduce workplace sitting time and improve anthropometric, metabolic and
cardiovascular outcomes across employees, in terms of changes observed in values of body mass
index, blood sugar and blood pressure. The high prevalence rates of obesity, and cardiovascular
death in the UK, coupled with the evidenced association between poor health outcomes and
sedentary workplace environments formed the key rationales underlying the development and
implementation of this project proposal. The project will comprise of a mixed method study
comprising of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants will comprise of employees
from a local organization engaging in primarily sedentary occupations with prolonged sitting
hours. Participants will be randomized into a total of two groups: a control group and an
experimental group receiving exercise and non-exercise based physical activity interventions.
After the 1 month follow up, participants will be interviewed on their experiences and analysed
in terms of body mass index, blood glucose and blood pressure levels. By reviewing current
evidence based research, this project paper also provides an extensive and elaborate detail of the
key interventions and strategies to consider for establishing effective physical activity guidelines
in order to prevent future adverse health outcomes across the workplace.

EMPLOYMENT BASED PROJECT PROPOSAL3
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................5
Search Strategy....................................................................................................................7
Inclusion Criteria.........................................................................................................8
Exclusion Criteria........................................................................................................8
Literature Review................................................................................................................9
Research Project Aims.......................................................................................................12
Research Project Objectives..............................................................................................12
Research Project Questions...............................................................................................13
Methodology......................................................................................................................14
Proposed Project Methodologies...................................................................................14
Sample Recruitment.......................................................................................................15
Inclusion Criteria.......................................................................................................16
Exclusion Criteria......................................................................................................16
Proposed Interventions..................................................................................................16
Data Collection and Outcomes......................................................................................17
Data Analysis.................................................................................................................18
Research Validity...........................................................................................................19
Ethical Issues.................................................................................................................20
Expected Findings.............................................................................................................20

EMPLOYMENT BASED PROJECT PROPOSAL4
Recommendations..............................................................................................................21
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................21
References.........................................................................................................................24
Appendix: Gantt Chart.........................................................................................................0

EMPLOYMENT BASED PROJECT PROPOSAL5
Introduction
With the onset of globalization and technological advancements, lifestyle conveniences
and dynamic work environments comprising of enhanced automation rather than manual labour
have increased (Lewis et al., 2019). Such advancements have apparently resulted in an alarming
increase in the consumption of convenience foods and adherence to sedentary lifestyles which
have in turn, contributed to a rise in the prevalence of metabolic disorders such as obesity (Lewis
et al., 2019). According to a recent news report, the United Kingdom has observed an increase in
sedentary lifestyles with approximately 30% of the population engaging in 6 hours of sedentary
work during weekdays (Donnelly, 2019). Obesity is the name given to a chronic metabolic
condition characterized by accumulation of adipose tissue within the body, at excessive and
abnormal levels. In the absence of untimely and ineffective mitigation, obesity is likely to
increase the risk of future acquisition of chronic and adverse metabolic conditions such as
hypertension, hyperglycaemia, diabetes mellitus, which in turn can pave the way for fatal
outcomes like poor cardiovascular health, stroke, diabetes and even cancer (Daw, Margolis &
Wright, 2017). One of the most prevalent and likely facilitators of pathologies contributing to
obesity is a state of excessive higher calorie consumption as compared to the basal metabolic
rates of calorie expenditure in an individual. The major risk factors which are associated with
such a positive calorie balance include: high consumption of convenience, processed and
packaged foods rich in calories, sugars, saturated fats and sodium and prevalent preoccupation
with low levels of physical activity (Blümel et al., 2016). A key risk factor of inadequate
physical activity is a prolonged engagement in sitting and sedentary lifestyle. This risk may be
higher in employees engaging in prolonged sitting hours at the workplace. Such sedentary
workplace environments and occupational responsibilities associated with desk jobs, are not only

EMPLOYMENT BASED PROJECT PROPOSAL6
key risk factors for obesity but also its associated metabolic adversities such as hypertension,
hyperglycaemia, poor cardiovascular health and fatal outcomes like stroke across employees
(Bertoglia et al., 2017). Current workplace environments compel employees to contribute a
significant proportion of their days’ time towards desk jobs (White et al., 2016). There is thus a
need for organizations to incorporate physical activity based interventions for improved health
outcomes at the occupational workplace (White et al., 2016). The aim of this employee health
based research project is to thus propose an examination the effectiveness of administrating
physical activity based interventions upon improvement of cardio metabolic outcomes like body
mass index, blood sugar and blood pressure across employees working in sedentary workplace
environments. The key rationales which prompted the development of this proposal is the direct
association between employee engagement in sedentary occupational environments and
increased risk of fatal metabolic outcomes like obesity, hypertension and hyperglycaemia (Nunez
et al., 2018).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020), obesity and overweight were
reported to impact approximately 650 million and 1.9 million adult individuals belonging to the
age group of 18 years and above and is likely to increase with age due to reduced metabolic
rates. In addition to highlighting the tripling of obesity prevalence rates across the population
since the mid-1970s, the WHO (2020) also denoted the direct association between obesity,
sedentary lifestyles and increased rates of deaths due to fatal cardiovascular outcomes and
disease as the highest contributor of global mortality rates during the year 2012. According to
AlQuaiz et al., (2019), cardiovascular diseases were estimated to contribute to 18 million deaths
every year, of which, 94% of affected individuals presented with modifiable risk factors like
obesity and engagement in sedentary lifestyles.

EMPLOYMENT BASED PROJECT PROPOSAL7
Indeed, the WHO (2020) further reported cardiovascular diseases as the highest cause of
mortality on a global scale, inflicting approximately 17.9 million individuals worldwide. On a
national level, according to the National Health Service (NHS, 2019), obesity has been reported
to affect approximately one out of a group of every four individuals. In addition to highlighting
factors like sedentary lifestyle and obesity as the key risk factors, the ‘Health Survey for England
in 2017 (NHS, 2018) also reported the prevalence of cardiovascular disease incidences and
ischemic heart disease outcomes succeeding stroke across approximately 14% and 9% of men
and women within the United Kingdom (UK) respectively. According to the ‘UK Chief Medical
Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines’ prolonged engagement of sitting for more than one or two
hours daily are likely to increase the risk of obesity as well as chronic metabolic outcomes like
diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease (Department of Health and Social Care, 2020). For
this reason, the UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines advises the need to
incorporate 1 to 2 minute long periods of movement between prolonged sitting periods well as
physical activity guidelines of approximately weekly 150 minutes or 75 minutes of moderate or
vigorous levels of exercise for optimum health outcomes (Department of Health and Social Care,
2020). Additionally, it has been evidenced that increased lengths of sitting time and sedentary
activities at the workplace are associated with a range of negative health outcomes like. Some of
the examples of such negative health outcomes include: inadequate blood circulation and
resultant deep vein thrombosis and sensations of limb numbness or swelling due to inadequate,
inadequate utilization and resultant degeneration of muscles, ergonomic injuries such as back
aches, back slumping, herniation in the lumbar disc, carpal tunnel syndrome as well as an
excessively forwarded head, decreased rates of metabolism and energy expenditure contributing
to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity, enhanced risk of depression and anxiety,