141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

277456
Community interventions for health (CIH) reduce risk factors for non-communicable disease in the workplace

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Denis Anthony, PhD RN , Harris Manchester College, Oxford, United Kingdom
Pamela Dyson, PhD, RD , Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism (OCDEM), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Brenda Fenton, PhD , Matrix Public Health Solutions Inc, New Haven, CT
Denise Stevens, PhD , MATRIX Public Health Consultants, Inc, New Haven, CT
Beatriz Champagne, PhD , InterAmerican Heart Foundation Inc, Dallas, TX
Li-Ming Li, MD , School of Public Health Science Studies, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
Jun Lv, PhD , School of Public Health Science Studies, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
Jorge Ramirez Hernandez, PhD , InterAmerican Heart Foundation Inc, Dallas, TX
KR Thankappan, MD , Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India
David Matthews , Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism (OCDEM), Univesity of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Background: Population-based strategies are recommended to reduce risk factors associated with non-communicable disease (NCD). Workplaces can be used as settings to reduce risk of NCD in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) by targeting tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

Methods: Workplace interventions were utilised as part of the Community Interventions for Health programme, a non-randomised, controlled study undertaken in three communities in China, India and Mexico. Culturally appropriate interventions to reduce tobacco use, increase physical activity and improve dietary intake within workplace settings were delivered in the intervention areas. Two independent cross-sectional surveys of workers were conducted at baseline and follow-up, after 18-24 months of intervention activities.

Results: 12,042 adults completed surveys at baseline, and 9,758 at follow-up. There were significant reductions in risk factors in the intervention group (I) compared to control (C). Tobacco use decreased significantly in I from 16.7% to 13.7% (p=0.02) with no change in C (p=0.345). The proportion of people meeting physical activity recommendations increased significantly both I and C, but more so in I from 30.8% to 40.9%. The proportion eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables daily increased in I from 15.8% to 22.7% (p<0.001), with no change in C (p=0.126). The proportion adding salt to food increased in C from 33.2% to 44.2% but this was less marked in I - 36.4% to 41.1%. Prevalence of obesity showed no significant change in either I or C.

Conclusions: Workplace interventions reduced risk factors for NCD in China, India and Mexico.

Learning Areas:
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
List the three main modifiable risk factors for non-communicable disease Identify community interventions for reducing these three risk factors Evaluate community interventions designed to reduce risk factors for NCD in the workplace

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the statistical consultant to the Oxford Health Alliance
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.