Factors influencing participation in worksite smoking cessation and weight loss programs: the Healthy Worker Project

Worksite intervention for health behavior change has attracted much recent interest as a potentially cost-effective way to promote healthier behaviors in the general population. In evaluating the impact of health promotion activities, it is essential to consider the entire work force rather than just self-selected participants. Overall, recruitment results reported to date have varied widely. There are a large number of factors pertaining to both employee and worksite characteristics that could contribute to variability in how well worksite health promotion programs attract employees. A critical issue that has received little research attention is the dynamics of participation in employee health promotion programs as they are offered repeatedly over time. The present study examined participation rates and contributing factors in worksite health promotion programs for weight loss and smoking cessation in the Healthy Worker Project, a randomized trial of worksite intervention conducted among 16 intervention and 16 control worksites in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area between 1987 and 1990. Data analyses focused on characterizing individuals enrolling in worksite health promotion programs in comparison to those in the worksite population as a whole who would be considered in need of such programs.