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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
4280.0: Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - Board 7

Abstract #109733

Overview of the Step Ahead Trial: An ecological intervention promoting weight control among hospital employees

Stephenie C. Lemon, PhD1, Jane G. Zapka, ScD1, Barbara Estabrook, MSPH1, Milagros C. Rosal, PhD1, Janet Fraser Hale, PhD, APRN, BC, NP2, Patricia D. Franklin, MD, MBA, MPH3, and Wenjun Li, PhD1. (1) Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, 508-856-4098, Stephenie.Lemon@umassmed.edu, (2) Graduate School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, (3) Department of Orthopedics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655

Hospitals are attractive worksites to test the effectiveness of ecological weight control interventions because they employ large numbers of people who are socio-economically and racially diverse, yet share common physical, social and policy work environments. This abstract summarizes the development, design and implementation of Step Ahead, a multi-level intervention designed to promote weight control among hospital employees through physical activity and healthy dietary practices. The intervention is being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial that includes six hospitals, randomized by site within matched pairs. Primary outcomes are changes in body mass index, physical activity levels and dietary practices. Developed within an ecologic framework and utilizing principles of community-based participatory research, the intervention consists of a comprehensive set of strategies that target multiple levels, the organization, the work unit and the individual, through changes to the physical environment, cultivation of leadership and managerial support and employee involvement, changes to the policy-procedural environment, informational strategies, informal social network activities, social marketing campaigns and structured educational opportunities. Each intervention strategy and objectives within strategies are based in theory and evidence. The key messages highlight that small choices made throughout the day lead to substantial health benefit. While the hospital workforce reflects multiple cultures including a wide variety of department types, multiple professional and support staff disciplines, and unionized segments of the workforce, it is hypothesized that promoting “small steps” to improve health can be universally appealing to diverse groups and has the potential to make significant impacts in weight control.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Worksite, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Worksite Health Promotion

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA