About
- The relationships between workplace wellness, sleep, and health
- The impact of the work environment on biological health measures like heart rate and blood pressure
- The influence of health measures on the quality and duration of sleep
Our study team includes researchers from the Social Environment and Health program, which focuses on social and environmental factors and their impacts on population health.
What to Expect
As part of this seven-day study you will:
- Answer survey questions about things like your work environment, health, and sleep
- Complete a 2-3-hour lab visit to gather baseline information about your health
- Wear monitors that measure blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep quality
- Get a blood draw
You will be compensated up to $356 plus a bonus of $44 for completing all elements of the study – totaling up to $400. The amount you receive will increase as your participation nears completion – you will receive the maximum amount if you complete all parts of the study.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for this study, you must be:
- Currently employed full time at the University of Michigan
- Not enrolled as a full time student
- 18 years or older
To determine if you are eligible to participate, please complete the screener survey.
Seven Days of Participation
The seven day participation will take place while you go about your regular life at work and home. For seven nights and seven days, you will wear two biomonitors (devices that record information about your health): the SpaceLabs Holter Heart Rate Monitor to monitor your heart rate and the Actiwatch to monitor your sleep. You will also respond to short surveys six times per day, to keep us informed of your overall well-being and experiences during the day. These surveys will be texted to you and you can respond quickly from your phone.
Blood Pressure Monitoring
In addition to the two biomonitors you will wear for the full seven days, you will wear the SpaceLabs Blood Pressure cuff for two days: one work day, and one non-work day (chosen by you). This blood pressure cuff will record your blood pressure regularly throughout the day and night and will provide important information about the relationship between your workplace experiences, sleep, and blood pressure (a key indicator of health!).
The Lab Visit
For the on-site Lab Visit, you will come in person to the Institute for Social Research (ISR) Thompson building on UM’s central campus. The Lab Visit will take 2-3 hours. The first thing that we will do is review the informed consent document with you and answer any questions you have before continuing with the study. Then, you will participate in a simulation of a zoom work presentation as well as other mental exercises. You will wear a blood pressure monitor and we will collect measurements and saliva samples, which contain biological markers of the stress system. These measures will help us understand how your body responds to workplace stress. The controlled, monitored environment will help us compare your responses to those of other participants. Finally, in preparation for your seven days of participation, we will show you how to use the take-home biomonitor devices.
The Blood Draw
We will also be collecting a blood sample to give us more information about your health, which we can combine with the rest of your study information to increase our understanding of the links between the workplace and wellness. The Blood Draw will be scheduled to take place at the ISR Thompson Building and should take less than 15 minutes.