Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111289

Mark G. Wilson, HSD¹, David M. DeJoy, PhD¹, Ron Goetzel, PhD², David C. Stapleton, PhD³, Ronald Ozminkowski, PhD⁴, and Karen Tully⁵. (1) Health Promotion and Behavior, University of Georgia, 300 River Road, Ramsey 308, Athens, GA 30602, 706 542-4364, mwilson@uga.edu, (2) Vice President of Consulting and Applied Research, The MEDSTAT Group, 4301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 330, Washington, DC 20008, (3) Institute for Policy Research, Cornell University, 4301 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20008, (4) Director of Outcomes Research & Econometrics, The MEDSTAT Group, 777 E Eisenhower Pkwy, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, (5) Health Services Expertise Center, The Dow Chemical Company, EDC, Midland, MI 48674

There is a growing interest in the concept that individual changes need to be provided within the context of a health promoting work environment. This presentation will detail the process of initiating a large-scale, multi-year intervention and evaluation project with a large corporation to develop an obesity intervention for its employees, with the aim of reducing the prevalence of obesity in the workplace and achieving a positive return on investment (ROI) for the company. The formative research phase of the project consisted of 1) an extensive review of the obesity intervention literature that supported a three-prong strategy that included passive environmental prompts, point of choice financial incentives, and direct organizational involvement, 2) discussions with the organization's corporate health services management to refine the intervention to fit within the organization's operations and culture, 3) interviews of key informants and employees at the specific sites in order to tailor the intervention to the individual worksite, and 4) an environmental assessment to garner information about the site's physical and surrounding community environment. Discussion will focus on the 1) organization's culture and the perception and application of research in the work setting, 2) empowerment of managers and employees at individual worksites to implement and influence health-related initiatives within the organization, 3) organization's capacity to effectively develop and implement research supporting health promotion programs, and 4) ultimate give and take between programs that are scientifically sound and practical enough to implement. Suggestions for translating research into practice in work organizations will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. By the end of the session, the participants will be able to summarize the extent and nature of environmental obesity interventions tested to date.
• 2. By the end of the session, the participants will be able to outline the process for securing approval and support from a large organization for an environmental intervention.
• 3. By the end of the session, the participants will be able to describe how the culture and procedures of a large organization can influence health promotion efforts.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.