Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the participants by study groups
| Characteristic | Combined (n = 53) | Exercise (n = 57) | Counseling (n = 55) | Control (n = 54) | Total (n = 219) | Missing (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years): mean (sd) | 45.1 (6.2) | 47.2 (7.4) | 46.4 (6.4) | 46.7 (7.2) | 46.4 (6.8) | 0 |
| Years working at current job: mean (sd) | 12.1 (9.2) | 12.2 (9.3) | 9.1 (7.0) | 12.4 (9.4) | 11.4 (8.8) | 2 |
| Civil status: % single | 45.3 | 33.3 | 32.7 | 29.6 | 35.2 | 0 |
| Education: % secondary school or less | 32.1 | 35.1 | 49.1 | 42.6 | 39.7 | 0 |
| Shift work: % yes | 71.7 | 64.9 | 75.9 | 66.7 | 69.7 | 1 |
| Profession: | ||||||
| % nurses’ aids | 37.7 | 40.4 | 41.8 | 42.6 | 40.6 | 0 |
| % nurses | 56.6 | 45.6 | 47.3 | 37.0 | 46.6 | 0 |
| % other | 5.7 | 14.0 | 10.9 | 20.4 | 12.8 | 0 |
| Work stress, effort-reward imbalance (range 0.2–5): mean (sd) | 1.6 (0.5) | 1.5 (0.5) | 1.7 (0.4) | 1.6 (0.5) | 1.6 (0.5) | 2 |
| Support from superior (range 0–4): mean (sd) | 3.3 (0.8) | 3.4 (0.7) | 3.3 (0.9) | 3.6 (0.8) | 3.4 (0.8) | 1 |
| Work ability index, short form (score 3–27): mean (sd) | 21.9 (2.8) | 22.0 (2.8) | 22.2 (2.8) | 22.3 (2.3) | 22.1 (2.6) | 0 |
| Current smoker: % yes | 32.1 | 19.3 | 32.7 | 29.6 | 28.3 | 0 |
| Body mass index: mean (sd) | 27.1 (5.3) | 25.3 (3.9) | 26.9 (4.2) | 26.4 (4.0) | 26.4 (4.4) | 3 |
| aMeets physical activity recommendation for health: (%) | 29.4% | 26.4% | 20.0% | 28.8% | 26.2% | 13 |
| Muscular fitness: Modified push-ups, reps: mean (sd) | 8.9 (3.8) | 8.8 (2.9) | 9.2 (3.0) | 9.2 (2.6) | 9.0 (3.1) | 6 |
a objective assessment with accelerometer [45] for 7 days (accepted for analysis if worn minimum 4 days and 10 h/day): aerobic physical activity at least three times per week amounting to at least 150 min of moderate activity or 75 min of vigorous activity (or combination of both), accumulated bouts of at least 10 consecutive minutes