Worksite Opportunities for Wellness (WOW): effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors after 1 year.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of a worksite health promotion program on improving cardiovascular disease risk factors.


METHODS
In St Louis, Missouri from 2005 to 2006, 151 employees (134 F, 17 M, 81% overweight/obese) participated in a cohort-randomized trial comparing assessments + intervention (worksite A) with assessments only (worksite B) for 1 year. All participants received personal health reports containing their assessment results. The intervention was designed to promote physical activity and favorable dietary patterns using pedometers, healthy snack cart, WeightWatchers(R) meetings, group exercise classes, seminars, team competitions, and participation rewards. Outcomes included BMI, body composition, blood pressure, fitness, lipids, and Framingham 10-year coronary heart disease risk.


RESULTS
123 participants, aged 45+/-9 yr, with BMI 32.9+/-8.8 kg/m(2) completed 1 year. Improvements (P< or =0.05) were observed at both worksites for fitness, blood pressure, and total-, HDL-, and LDL-cholesterol. Additional improvements occurred at worksite A in BMI, fat mass, Framingham risk score, and prevalence of the metabolic syndrome; only the changes in BMI and fat mass were different between worksites.


CONCLUSIONS
A multi-faceted worksite intervention promoted favorable changes in cardiovascular disease risk factors, but many of the improvements were achieved with worksite health assessments and personalized health reports in the absence of an intervention.
Racette
Susan B
SB
Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8502, 4444 Forest Park Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108-2212, USA. racettes@wustl.edu
Deusinger
Susan S
SS
Inman
Cindi L
CL
Burlis
Tamara L
TL
Highstein
Gabrielle R
GR
Buskirk
Trent D
TD
Steger-May
Karen
K
Peterson
Linda R
LR
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D017132:Workplace
D008055:Lipids