title: The effectiveness and barriers of implementing a workplace health promotion program to improve metabolic disorders in older workers in Taiwan.
abstract: To determine the effectiveness of a pragmatic health promotion program to improve the metabolic disorders in older workers in Taiwan, we conducted a 24-week quasi-experiment in three worksites in southern Taiwan in 2010. Among 1,245 workers, 108 met the inclusion criteria (full-time workers aged over 50 years) and agreed to participate in the study. They were assigned to either the intervention (n = 58) or the reference group (n = 50) according to their availability to participate in health-promoting activities. The intervention group received training in behavioral modifications to improve diet, time-use, stress management and physical activity. Motivational lectures, group activities, and team competitions were used to improve participants' knowledge and skills in managing own health. Subjects in the reference group received no intervention. Lifestyle, anthropometric and biochemical indicators were measured at baseline and end-point. Mixed effects linear models were used to determine the intervention effects. The intervention significantly lowered body weight (intervention vs. reference = -1.22 vs. -0.30kg, p = 0.026), BMI (-0.46 vs. -0.02kg/m2, p = 0.006), and waist circumference (-2.68 vs. +0.79cm, p <0.001), but had no effect on biochemical parameters. These findings suggest the workplace-based health promotion can be effective and useful in reducing the risk of metabolic disorders in older workers in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Meei-Maan
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan Department of Health Services Management, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan atsai@umich.edu atsai@asia.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan Center for Health Policy and Management Research, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jiun-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan; D017132:Workplace
keywords: elderly/older adult; workplace health promotion