Effectiveness of a worksite telephone-based weight management program.

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Behavioral science
• Public health interventions

Background:

• Worksite settings are ideal for implementing health promotion programs.
• Obesity and overweight conditions are prevalent among employees, impacting overall health and productivity.
• Telephone-based interventions offer a scalable and accessible approach to weight management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a telephone-based weight management program.
• To compare outcomes between program completers and noncompleters in a worksite population.
• To assess the impact on weight loss and related lifestyle behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A pre/post quasi-experimental design was employed.
• 1298 overweight or obese participants from 10 large employers were enrolled.
• A tailored, up to five-call telephone coaching program was delivered over a median of 250 days, with assessments at baseline and 1-year follow-up.

Main Results:

• Program completers achieved 2.6 times more weight loss compared to noncompleters.
• 48% of completers and 47% of noncompleters experienced weight loss.
• Completers reported improvements in physical activity, eating habits, and overall health status.

Conclusions:

• A modest-intensity telephone-based weight management program can yield positive health impacts for worksite employees.
• Significant weight loss and improved lifestyle behaviors were observed among program completers.
• This intervention demonstrates potential for improving the health of overweight and obese workers.