Interventions to Increase Workplace Wellness

Summary

Behaviour changes such as improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, and decreasing obesity are linked with lower mortality and morbidity and fewer cancers. Health promotion programs in the workplace are a promising way to reach a large segment of the population. This project evaluated the efficacy of three approaches - all of which were based on previous research and programs with demonstrated positive benefits - on cancer-related outcomes (healthy eating, physical activity, normal body weight) and work-related outcomes (absenteeism, presenteeism).

Conditions

• Health Behavior

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

ALIVE

The company assigned to this condition offered employees participation in the ALIVE program. This program was validated in a previous worksite-based randomized controlled trial (RCT). A baseline assessment includes questions asking about: presence of children at home, habits related to cooking and eating out, physical activity preferences, stage of readiness of change, and perceived barriers to achieving heath behavior goals. This information provides the basis for immediate feedback and individually-tailored messages that include goal-setting and tips to achieve these goals, interactive features, and health information. Biweekly messages are sent for a total of 48 weeks. Outcome data were based on all individuals who completed the baseline assessment.

BEHAVIORAL

CCS BCY

The company assigned to this condition participated in a comprehensive year-long workplace wellness program intervention focusing on nutrition, weight control, and physical activity, led by the CCS BCY. The program was modeled after a previous successful CCS BCY tobacco control worksite program. This program stresses the importance of developing social and environmental supports at the worksite to promote behavior change . Such supports could include food availability (e.g., cafeteria and vending machine selections), the built environment (e.g., availability of bike racks); social environment (e.g., group lunchtime walking clubs), and health communications (e.g., company newsletters). Outcome data were based on all individuals who completed the baseline assessment.

BEHAVIORAL

ALIVE + CCS BCY

The company assigned to this condition received both the ALIVE and CCS BCY programs. Employees were encouraged to take part in both ALIVE and company initiatives, but participation in these activities was based on individual preference. Outcome data were based on all individuals who completed the baseline assessment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canadian Cancer Society (CCS)

  collaborator OTHER

• University of British Columbia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Carolyn C Gotay, PhD · University of British Columbia

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2010-04-30

Primary Completion

2013-03-31

Completion

2014-03-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations