A profile of health risks among blue-collar workers.
Despite national objectives for extending health promotion programs to blue-collar workers and to small work sites, baseline behavior information for planning such programs is lacking. This study seeks to describe the health risks and norms specific to a population of male, blue-collar gas pipeline workers in remote sites. These workers (n = 395) completed a health risk appraisal and a "health gauge" survey designed to measure nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use, participatory patterns in health-enhancing activities, group norms, and change efforts. Selected behaviors were similar to those of other Texas men (eg, smoking 27% versus 26%) although others were not (eg, smokeless tobacco 18% versus 8%). Multivariate analysis confirmed the relationship of friends' behavior patterns, risk-taking, and interpersonal experience to four lifestyle health behaviors. With 75% or more of workers expressing an interest in various programs, the findings suggest that programming for this population can be successful if tailored to current behaviors and the worksite culture.
Gottlieb
N H
NH
Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas, Austin 78712.
Weinstein
R P
RP
Baun
W B
WB
Bernacki
E J
EJ
D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D005579:Fossil Fuels; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013781:Texas; D014481:United States
D005579:Fossil Fuels