Worksite characteristics and environmental and policy supports for cardiovascular disease prevention in New York state.
BACKGROUND
Worksite policy and environmental supports that promote physical activity, healthy eating, stress management, and preventive health screenings can contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and lower employer costs. This study examines the availability of these four categories of supports in a statewide survey of New York State worksites.


METHODS
In 2002, we recruited a statewide sample of worksites in New York State with 75 or more employees to participate in a mailed survey assessing worksite policy and environmental supports for wellness and health promotion. The overall response rate was 34.8%. The analysis included data from 832 worksites.


RESULTS
Worksite size was an independent predictor of health promotion supports with small (75-99 employees) and medium-small (100-199 employees) worksites reporting significantly fewer policy and environmental supports in all four categories than worksites with 300 or more employees. Worksites in which most employees were nonwhite reported fewer supports for physical activity, healthy eating, and stress management than worksites in which most employees were white. A wellness committee or wellness coordinator was associated with more health promotion supports, regardless of the size of the worksite or composition of its workforce.


CONCLUSIONS
Worksites with fewer than 200 employees have an increased need for assistance in establishing environmental and policy supports promoting cardiovascular health. Worksites that have a wellness committee or coordinator are better able to establish and sustain supports with the potential to improve the health of their workers.
Brissette
Ian
I
Bureau of Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance, New York State Department of Health, Corning Tower, Room 565, Albany, NY 12237, USA. ifb01@health.state.ny.us
Fisher
Brian
B
Spicer
Deborah A
DA
King
Lori
L
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004777:Environment; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017132:Workplace / Q000592:standards*