Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Charles Stuart Platkin, JD, MPH, Integrated Wellness Solutions, 135 West 20th Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011 and Kelly Suzanne Frindell, School of Public Health, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199, 3055827058, kellyfrindell@gmail.com.

BACKGROUND: Because individuals spend substantial time at worksites; these settings provide ample opportunities for nutrition and physical activity interventions. Think Before You Eat is an six-month anti-obesity education and awareness initiative. This intervention is intended to improve participants eating and physical activity behavior, and overall quality of life by increasing readiness for change; developing self-interest; enhancing self-efficacy; and raising consciousness of behavioral patterns associated with eating and physical activity.

METHODS: The intervention group consisted of 1100 employees of the City of Hollywood, Fl. and the control group consisted of 800 employees of the City of Plantation, Fl. The intervention group received behavioral marketing collateral including postcards, posters, newsletters, informational pocket guides, pedometers, weekly educational emails, and access to an online weight management website (food and physical activity diary, including behavioral exercises.)

Assessment tools include: Validated Short Block Food Frequency Questionnaire (food intake); Eating Inventory (cognitive restraint, disinhibition, hunger); the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) (estimate of physical activity); and The RAND 36-Item Health Survey for Quality of Life (physical functioning, energy, emotional well-being, general health)

RESULTS: Preliminary data indicates that the intervention group had improvements in quality of life [including an increase in energy (p.<.016), and an improvement in workplace productivity (p.<.073)]. Additionally, while not statistically significant, those receiving the intervention decreased their overall snacking of “sin foods” (e.g., cookies, donuts, candy bars, ice cream, and chips) [p.< .104] and increased their consumption of fruit [p.< .104] compared to the control group. Further analyses will be reported in this session.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Create innovative and thought provoking worksite wellness programs that increase participant compliance in nutrition and physical interventions.
• List various methods used to increase awareness to improve eating and physical activity behavior by focusing on increasing self-interest and self-efficacy.
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of combining a behavioral print campaigns and online programs during an intervention.

Keywords: Worksite, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No