Cancer prevention for working class, multiethnic populations through small businesses: the healthy directions study

We report demographic and social contextual characteristics of multiethnic, blue-collar workers from the baseline survey of a study conducted in 24 small businesses. We discuss ways in which we incorporated these characteristics into the design of the intervention.

We used a randomized controled design, with 12 small businesses assigned to a social contextual intervention and 12 to a minimum intervention control condition. The response rates to the survey were 84% at baseline (n = 1717). Primary outcomes included reduction in red meat consumption and increase in physical activity and daily multivitamin intake. Secondary outcomes targeted reduction in smoking and occupational exposures.

The majority of the respondents were male (67.6%). This was an ethnically diverse sample with 24.7% representing racial/ethnic groups other than white and 43.6% of participants or their parents born outside of the US. To meet study recommendations, workers needed improvement in all behaviors measured. Participants reported a smoking rate of 25.8, 86.2% ate fewer than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day 69.5% ate more than three servings of red meat a week, 46.8% engaged in less than 2.5 h a week and 72.4% reported that they did not consume a daily multivitamin.

Interventions that address the contextual environment in which health behaviors occur, may provide a method that researchers and practitioners can use to reduce health disparities.