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Worksite study promoting activity and changes in eating (PACE): design and baseline results
Shirley A A Beresford1, Emily Locke, Sonia Bishop
1Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Box 357236, Seattle, WA 98195-7236, USA. beresfrd@u.washington.edu
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|January 19, 2008
Summary
Worksite interventions can help prevent obesity by promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Employee participation in surveys is high, and behaviors like exercise and diet are linked to body mass index (BMI).
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Worksite-wide interventions are effective for health promotion.
- An ecological framework guides behavioral change strategies.
- Qualitative methods identified key barriers and facilitators for weight management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a behavioral intervention for weight maintenance or reduction.
- To assess the association between dietary and physical activity behaviors and Body Mass Index (BMI).
- To describe the design and recruitment process for a group-randomized trial.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an ecological framework modified by qualitative insights.
- Recruited approximately 30 companies in the Seattle area.
- Assessed dietary behaviors and physical activity through surveys, with BMI derived from self-reported height and weight.
Main Results:
- Developed a behavioral intervention with a minimum suite of strategies.
- Achieved an average baseline survey response rate of 81% across 18 worksites.
- Found significant associations between BMI and physical activity levels, fast food consumption, soft drink intake, eating while distracted, and fruit/vegetable intake, after adjusting for covariates.
Conclusions:
- Worksite-based strategies are adaptable for obesity prevention.
- Employees demonstrate high willingness to participate in health-related surveys.
- Specific physical activity and dietary choices are demonstrably linked to baseline BMI.
