A structured health intervention to improve physical activity, nutrition and sleep in offshore windfarm workers

Project Description:

This Research Project is part of the EPSRC CDT in Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience’s The wellbeing triad: improving the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive health of workers in the offshore windfarm sector Cluster.

Offshore wind farm working environments are not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Evidence shows that offshore technicians spend most of their time being sedentary when working and the small amount of time spent in physical movement is often physically intense, leading to a high cardiovascular load. Yet there has been limited attention to health promotion efforts. This project will develop and test in a pilot study a structured health Intervention that is multicomponent and theory-driven, targeting physical activity, diet and excessive sitting.

Methodology

Online surveys, observations and semi-structured interviews with workers, human resources and other key stakeholders will be undertaken to design a structured health intervention using design frameworks. Workers will be invited to participate in the intervention and will receive guidance and equipment provision (including a Fitbit and resistance bands/balls to strengthen muscles).

Data from workers will be collected before and after the intervention is trialled using surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations objective data (e.g., heart, sleep and activity monitors), physiological measurements and biological samples. Pre and post-test statistics will be used to assess effect of the intervention and process evaluation frameworks will be used to analyse interview/focus group data to understand how the intervention worked, for whom and under which circumstances.

Training and skills

Student will receive the following training as part of the PhD project: Intervention design, physiological measurement and health tool use and analyses training, questionnaire and interview design and analyses.
The PhD could lead to careers in academia as well as in public or private sectors (in human resources or health and wellbeing teams), or in consultancy firms specialising in work, health and wellbeing.

References and further reading

Varela-Mato, et al. Using intervention mapping to develop evidence-based toolkits that support workers on long-term sick leave and their managers. BMC Health Services Research, 2023; 23.1 1-14.