AB209. The effect of 4-week pedometer and sleep monitoring programme on asthenospermia patients in information technology workers: a prospective study

Objective: In China, information technology (IT) workers face many health problems as a result of the nature of work by computer. For instance, IT workers often work overtime and irregular life (such as staying up late, sedentary, lack of exercise, etc.), IT related occupational diseases are more and more. There are many asthenospermia patients in IT workers in clinic, how to improve sperm-related outcomes of them is a problem for us. Using real-time pedometer and sleep monitoring is an innovative concept for them. The primary aim of this study was to examine the effect of 4-week pedometer and sleep monitoring programme to increase physical activity and improve sperm-related outcomes in a population of IT workers.

Methods: A convenience sample of IT workers (n=86; mean age 27.6 years; range, 22–35) participated in the trial. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups. Intervention participants (n=43) utilized a pedometer and sleep monitoring to self-monitor their activity and sleep, set a plan (10,000 steps every day, sleep before 22:00) for patients to complete the task, meanwhile undertaking a brief intervention, and educational material. Control participants (n=43) received educational material and utilized a pedometer and sleep monitor only. The primary outcomes of ambulatory activity, health-related quality of life (weight, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and sperm-related outcomes were evaluated at baseline, immediately following the 4-week intervention.

Results: Seventy-eight participants completed the program (90.6% adherence). Adherence with the intervention group was low, 88% (n=38/43), and this group increased their mean daily step count from 5,423 to 9,743 steps per day, while the control group (n=40/43) steps changed from 5,388 to 6,151 steps per day from baseline. This increase in step counts remained significant within the intervention group P<0.005; there were significant group changes with large effect sizes for step count change (d=1.94) and self-reported physical activity (P<0.005; d=2.59) at 4 weeks intervention. Meanwhile, results showed significant between-group differences in weight, PSQI, and sperm-related outcomes at 4 weeks intervention. Further, results showed non-significant between-group differences in health-related quality of life (BMI, waist-to-hip ratio) score.

Conclusions: The real-time pedometer and sleep monitoring programme can improve the physical activity, body weight and the quality of sleep for asthenospermia patients in IT workers. It can also significantly improve sperm density, sperm motility, and the level of A, A + B grade sperm ratio. Using real-time pedometer and sleep monitoring is an innovative concept for them. This research needs to further expand the sample size to verify the feasibility of real-time pedometer and sleep monitoring plan and the management of self-biochemical methods.

Keywords: Pedometer (step count) and sleep monitor; physical activity; asthenospermia patients; information technology workers (IT workers)