Effectiveness of a Worksite-Based Lifestyle Intervention on Employees' Obesity Control and Prevention in China: A Group Randomized Experimental Study

Overview

Journal Int J Environ Res Public Health

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Environmental Health
Public Health

Date 2022 Jun 10

PMID 35682322

Authors

Jingxia Kong

Ying Chen

Yingjing Zheng

Lin Zhu

Boyan Chen

Xiao Cheng

Mengna Song

Donald L Patrick

Shirley A A Beresford

Hongmei Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: This study was to culturally adapt a lifestyle intervention for employees’ obesity control and prevention using a participatory process, and evaluate the effectiveness of the project at worksites. Methods: A group randomized experimental study included four worksites (two intervention, two control) in the Yangtze River Delta in China was conducted. A total of 388 participants (216 in the intervention worksites and 172 in the control worksites) were finally recruited from 955 employees at the four worksites (464 in the intervention worksites and 491 in the control worksites). The final evaluation was completed by two hundred and seventy-eight employees (159 in the intervention worksites and 119 in the control worksites, respectively). Data of demographic information, weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and weight-related behaviors including diary behaviors and physical activities were collected before and after a 12-month intervention and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square test, linear mixed regression and logistic mixed regression. Results: Although the intervention worksites had a reduction in body mass index (23.21 to 22.95, p < 0.01), hip circumference (95.97 to 95.28, p = 0.03) and waist-to-height ratio (0.49 to 0.48, p = 0.01), the differential changes compared to those of the control group were not statistically significant. The frequency of sweet beverages (−1.81, 95%CI: −0.52, −3.11), frequency of vegetable intake (5.66, 95%CI: 1.59, 9.74), daily servings of vegetables (0.53, 95%CI: 0.24, 0.82), frequency of fruit intake (3.68, 95%CI: 1.25, 6.12), daily servings of fruit (0.26, 95%CI: 0.44, 0.92), daily servings of vegetables and fruit (0.79, 95%CI: 0.43, 1.16), daily steps (863.19, 95%CI: 161.42, 1564.97) and self-efficacy to change physical activity (OR = 1.91, 95%CI: 1.02,3.60) were more improved in the intervention group than were those measures in the control group. Conclusions: The worksite-based lifestyle intervention project for obesity control and prevention improved several employees’ dietary behaviors and physical activities at worksites in China in a short time. Long-term intervention with larger samples in more worksites should be further examined.

Citing Articles

Participatory Approaches in the Context of Research Into Workplace Health Promotion to Improve Physical Activity Levels and Reduce Sedentary Behavior Among Office-Based Workers: Scoping Review.

Buffey A, Langley C, Carson B, Donnelly A, Salsberg J JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024; 10:e50195.

PMID: 38896458 PMC: 11222769. DOI: 10.2196/50195.

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