Tailoring and targeting a worksite health promotion program to address multiple health behaviors among blue-collar women.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the relationship between health risks, health behaviors, stages-of-change, and behavior change priorities among blue-collar women participating in a worksite health promotion study.


METHODS
Cross-sectional.


METHODS
Rural manufacturing worksites in North Carolina.


METHODS
Participants were 859 women aged 18 and over.


METHODS
The self-administered questionnaire assessed smoking, exercise, nutrition (fat, fruits, and vegetables), and breast and cervical cancer screening behaviors. In addition, demographics, body weight, perceived health, stages-of-change, and priority for behavior change were measured. Chi-square tests and regression analysis were used to assess statistical significance.


RESULTS
Overall, 28% of women smoked, 37% were completely sedentary, 82% consumed less than five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and the majority were overweight. The dominant stage of change for each of the lifestyle behaviors was contemplation, whereas most women were in the action stage for cancer screening. When asked to prioritize the behavior they most wanted to change, the majority of women chose healthy eating and/or exercise.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that blue-collar women in this study had multiple health risks and were interested in changing multiple health behaviors. Allowing women to choose the behavior(s) on which they are ready to focus may be a promising approach to tailoring interventions for this population.
Campbell
M K
MK
Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599, USA.
Tessaro
I
I
DeVellis
B
B
Benedict
S
S
Kelsey
K
K
Belton
L
L
Henriquez-Roldan
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009657:North Carolina; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace