Participation and cardiovascular risk reduction in a voluntary worksite nutrition and physical activity program.
OBJECTIVE
In a cohort of employees participating in a worksite nutrition and physical activity program, we compared program completion and changes in cardiovascular risk factors by baseline body mass index.


METHODS
In 2007, 774 employees enrolled in a 10 week program at a hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Program completion and change in weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure were compared between obese (body mass index≥30), overweight (body mass index=25-29.9), and normal weight (body mass index<25) participants.


RESULTS
At baseline, 63% were obese or overweight and had higher blood pressure and cholesterol compared to normal weight participants. Program completion was 82% and did not differ by body mass index. Mean weight loss was 1.9 kg at end of program (p<0.001) and 0.4 kg at 1 year (p=0.002). At end of program, participants with body mass index≥30 lost 3.0% body weight vs. 2.7% for body mass index=25-29.9 and 1.7% for body mass index<25 (p<0.001), but weight loss at 1 year did not differ by body mass index. Mean cholesterol and blood pressure were lower at end of program and 1 year (all, p<0.005) but did not differ by body mass index.


CONCLUSIONS
Worksite programs can successfully initiate cardiovascular risk reduction among employees, but more intensive interventions are needed to make significant improvements in the health of higher risk obese employees.
General Medicine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. athorndike@partners.org
Anne N
AN
Thorndike
Erica
E
Healey
Lillian
L
Sonnenberg
Susan
S
Regan
D000328:Adult; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001900:Boston; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012016:Reference Values; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D017132:Workplace
D002784:Cholesterol