A Web-based health promotion program for older workers: randomized controlled trial

Recent evidence supports the efficacy of programs that promote improvements in the health practices of workers 50 years and older who are at higher risk for chronic diseases than younger workers are. Internet-based programs that promote healthy practices have also shown promise and, therefore, should be especially appropriate for workers aged 50 years and older.

The purpose of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of HealthyPast50, a fully automated Web-based health promotion program based on social cognitive theory and aimed specifically at workers 50 years and older.

The randomized controlled trial was conducted across multiple US offices of a large global information technology company. The sample included 278 employees aged 50 to 68 who were recruited online and randomly assigned to the Web-based HealthyPast50 program or to a wait-list control condition. Self-report measures of diet, physical activity, stress, and tobacco use were collected online before and 3 months after the program group was given access to the program. Use data included number of log-ins and number of pages accessed. The primary analysis was multiple linear regression, following intent-to-treat principles with multiple imputation using the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach for nonmonotone missing data. Potential moderators from demographic characteristics and program dosage effects were assessed using multiple linear regression models. Additional analyses were conducted on complete (nonimputed) cases, excluding program participants who used the program for less than 30 minutes.

Retention rates were good for both groups: 80.4% (111/138) for the program group and 94.3% (132/140) for the control group. Program group participants spent a mean of 102.26 minutes in the program (SD 148.32), logged in a mean of 4.33 times (SD 4.28), and viewed a mean of 11.04 pages (SD 20.08). In the analysis of the imputed dataset, the program group performed significantly better than the control group on diet behavioral change self-efficacy (estimated adjusted difference [Δ]=0.16, P=.048), planning healthy eating (Δ=0.17, P=.03), and mild exercise (Δ=1.03, P=.01). Moderator and dosage analyses of the dataset found no significant program effects. Analyses of the nonimputed dataset comparing program users with controls found additional significant program effects on eating practices (Δ=0.09, P=.03), exercise self-efficacy (Δ=0.12, P=.03), exercise planning (Δ=0.18, P=.03), and aging beliefs (Δ=0.17, P=.01). Moderator analysis of this dataset also found significant moderator effects of gender on multiple measures of exercise.

A Web-based health promotion program showed promise for making a significant contribution to the short-term dietary and exercise practices of older working adults. Gender effects suggest that the program effects on exercise are due mainly to improvements among women.