The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67004

Gary H. Wong, MD, MPH and Tiffany K. Pang, MPH, CHES. Regional Health Education, Health Promotion and Prevention, Kaiser Permanente, 393 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91188

A large health care provider developed a worksite wellness website to determine the effectiveness of using the Internet as a means of promoting wellness to physicians and employees. In addition to delivering health information and resources, the program encourages formation of walk teams and provides incentives for website interaction and for making and maintaining positive behavior changes. Points are awarded for participating in walk teams, tracking daily steps using a pedometer, and maintaining a personal health tracker of recent screenings and immunizations. The website personalizes and tailors health information. Preventive care guidelines on immunizations and screenings prompt the user based on their gender, age, and last visit to schedule appointments with their health care providers. Personalized monthly walking goals encourage participants to increase their number of steps at their own pace to reach the recommended goal of 10,000 steps per day. The program is based on concepts of the Health Belief Model, Transtheoretical Model, Social Support, Social Marketing, and Social Cognitive theories. These concepts are applied by 1) providing health education to increase awareness of the benefits of walking, 2) tailoring and personalizing information based on individual readiness to provide relevant information, 3) providing incentives for reinforcement, and 4) providing a sense of community through the formation of walk teams and the ability to communicate with each other and/or with a wellness coordinator via message boards to motivate and sustain positive behavior change. The evaluation will compare BMI readings at program initiation and 3 and 6 months post.

Learning Objectives:

• ·Recognize that an Internet-based wellness program can be an interactive, motivational tool to encourage behavior change.
• ·Recognize that an Internet-based wellness program can serve as a multi-faceted communication channel tailored to an individual’s learning preferences.

Keywords: Worksite, Internet

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.