The Healthy Worker Project: a work-site intervention for weight control and smoking cessation.
OBJECTIVE
A randomized trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a work-site health promotion program in reducing obesity and the prevalence of cigarette smoking.


METHODS
Thirty-two work sites were randomized to treatment or no treatment for 2 years. Treatment consisted of health education classes combined with a payroll-based incentive system. Evaluation was based on cohort and cross-sectional surveys.


RESULTS
Of 10,000 total employees in treatment work sites, 2041 and 270 participated in weight control and smoking cessation programs, respectively. Weight losses averaged 4.8 lbs, and 43% of smoking participants quit. Net 2-year reductions in smoking prevalence in treatment vs control work sites were 4.0% and 2.1% in cross-sectional and cohort surveys, respectively. No treatment effect was found for weight. Treatment effects for smoking prevalence and weight were both positively correlated with participation rates in the intervention programs (r = .45 for smoking and r = .55 for weight).


CONCLUSIONS
This work-site health promotion program was effective in reducing smoking prevalence at a cost that is believed to make the investment worthwhile.
Jeffery
R W
RW
Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis 55454-1015.
Forster
J L
JL
French
S A
SA
Kelder
S H
SH
Lando
H A
HA
McGovern
P G
PG
Jacobs
D R
DR
Baxter
J E
JE
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003256:Community Participation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016272:Occupational Health; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D015431:Weight Loss