Worksite Weight Loss Intervention for Employees in Stressful Workplaces: A Pilot Study and Baseline Survey Indicators of Success

Details

• Personal Author:
  Benson NR ; Cherniack, Martin G. ; Duffy VB ; Faghri PD
• Description:
  Statement of problem: Correctional facilities are stressful, unhealthy and dangerous working environments, which increase the risk of chronic diseases and a shortened lifespan for employees, particularly corrections officers. The need exists for effective worksite interventions to lower chronic disease risk and improve health of correctional employees. Objective: The primary aim was to pilot test eight-week worksite nutrition and physical activity educational intervention for correctional employees and to determine baseline indicators of weight loss success. Methods: Twenty overweight/obese volunteer employees were recruited by convenience sampling. Educational material was tailored to baseline responses on diet and physical activity knowledge, preferences, and behaviors. Adiposity status was both self-rated by the study participants and measured by researchers. The primary indicator was change in adiposity with a goal of 3% loss in weight across the intervention. Results: The group averaged one-pound loss per week; eleven of 20 employees lost .3% of body weight. The number of overweight/obese employees with healthy waist circumferences increased from 3 to 8 post-intervention. At baseline, employees who reached the weight loss goal were most likely to: accurately assess their level of adiposity; have lower knowledge about nutrition and healthy eating; report greater preference for discretionary-energy foods but less preference for vegetables; and less confidence in changing their physical activity behaviors. Conclusions: The intervention resulted in clinically meaningful, short-term weight loss among employees in stressful workplaces. Simple baseline survey-assessment defined employees who reported room to change their dietary and physical activity patterns as well as an accurate realization of their level of excessive adiposity. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Body Weight Correctional Facilities Diet Men Occupational Health Safety Stress, Psychological Women Workplace
• Keywords:
  Adipose Tissue Author Keywords: Obesity BMI Body Mass Index Body Weight Correctional Facilities Correctional Officers Humans Intervention Job Stress Nutrition Obesity Physical Exercise Stress Tailored Intervention Total Worker Health TWH Weight Factors Weight Measurement Work Environment Worker Health Workers Workplace Studies Worksite

  More +
• ISSN:
  2165-7904
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Connecticut ; Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  2
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055577
• Citation:
  J Obes Weight Loss Ther 2012 Mar; 2(2):121
• Contact Point Address:
  Pouran D. Faghri, MD, MS, FACSM, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, 358 Mansfield Road, U-2101, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
• Email:
  pouran.faghri@uconn.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• NORA Priority Area:
  Healthcare and Social Assistance
• Performing Organization:
  University of Massachusetts, Lowell
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20060701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
• End Date:
  20210831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c5728037328bb7573b9605458bfcfef2e4eaa6d75a84eb3e6cf12eca1c961958ec8fccb2ca4d769c36c14de620794f1782048e25ded9441bf675fcd403b71237
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213400/cdc_213400_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 882.90 KB ]