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Workplace Health Promotion in Italian University Employees: Effects on Body Composition and Mediterranean Diet Adherence

  • 0Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10123 Torino, Italy.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health +

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August 29, 2024

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August 29, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The Wellness@Work for UniTo Project successfully improved university employees' health. This workplace health promotion initiative led to significant positive changes in body composition and Mediterranean diet adherence over four months.

Area Of Science

  • Occupational Health
  • Public Health
  • Nutrition Science

Background

  • Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) is increasingly recognized as vital for employee well-being.
  • Universities offer a unique setting for implementing primary prevention strategies.
  • The Wellness@Work for UniTo Project (W@W) was initiated to enhance health within the university environment.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the W@W Project after a 4-month intervention period.
  • To assess changes in anthropometric variables, body composition, and Mediterranean diet adherence among university employees.
  • To determine the impact of a brief, professionally-guided lifestyle intervention on employee health.

Main Methods

  • The study involved voluntary participation of university employees.
  • Baseline assessments (T1) included socio-demographic data, anthropometric measurements, Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) for body composition, and the Medi-Lite questionnaire for Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence.
  • Participants received 5-minute lifestyle counseling, with follow-up assessments (T2) after approximately 4 months.

Main Results

  • A total of 479 workers initially participated, with 246 completing the 4-month follow-up.
  • Significant improvements were observed in anthropometric variables, body composition, and Mediterranean diet adherence from T1 to T2.
  • These positive changes were consistent across both male and female participants.

Conclusions

  • The W@W Project demonstrated the effectiveness of a simple, accessible workplace health promotion intervention.
  • The findings suggest that university settings are suitable for implementing primary prevention programs.
  • Easy-to-implement WHP initiatives can significantly contribute to improving the overall health of university employees.

Keywords:

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