The TALENT II study: a randomized controlled trial assessing the impact of an individual health management (IHM) on stress reduction

Background: Unfavorable lifestyle factors influence the risk of stress disorders. For risk reduction, lifestyle modifications, such as regular physical activity, balanced nutrition and competence in stress management, are a means of choice. The clinical study examines the efficacy of an intensive lifestyle intervention, named Individual Health Management (IHM), - with regard to a reduction of perceived stress. The study is supported by the major regional health insurance, which conducts, in cooperation with the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital, Bad Kotzting, a local model project offering insurants the IHM program as prevention measure against stress and related aftermath. Methods: The study is a controlled, randomized, monocentric trial with a 12-months intervention phase. Feasible persons are checked according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and assigned to the intervention or control group. Randomization ratio is 1:1. (A) Participants of the intervention group receive the lifestyle program IHM, have access to a web-based health portal (www.viterio.de), and join 3 full-day and 10 two-hour training sessions during the first 3 months. During the remaining 9 months, 4 training sessions and a weekly monitoring are performed with remote assistance. Besides measurement of perceived stress, examinations include burnout symptoms, heart rate variability, laboratory and physical findings. Further patient reported outcomes are documented (e.g. well-being, life satisfaction, severity of mood state, sense of coherence, psycho-vegetative test, cardio-metabolic risk factors, hypertension and diabetes risk (B) Participants in the control group have access to the intensive lifestyle intervention IHM after a waiting period of at least 6 months. Examinations are conducted at baseline, after 3 and 6 months and in the intervention group additionally after 9 and 12 months. The confirmatory analysis examines the differences between the two groups with regard to changes in perceived stress after 6 months compared to the initial value. Discussion: In order to enhance adherence, avoid attrition and to insure data quality, different measures will be implemented in the study. Based on a blended learning concept including a web-based e-health tool named VITERIO (R), the program promises to achieve sustainable effects in perceived stress