title: Development and Pilot Test of the Workplace Readiness Questionnaire, a Theory-Based Instrument to Measure Small Workplaces' Readiness to Implement Wellness Programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a theory-based questionnaire to assess readiness for change in small workplaces adopting wellness programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In developing our scale, we first tested items via "think-aloud" interviews. We tested the revised items in a cross-sectional quantitative telephone survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study setting comprised small workplaces (20-250 employees) in low-wage industries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Decision-makers representing small workplaces in King County, Washington (think-aloud interviews, n = 9), and the United States (telephone survey, n = 201) served as study subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We generated items for each construct in Weiner's theory of organizational readiness for change. We also measured workplace characteristics and current implementation of workplace wellness programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed reliability by coefficient alpha for each of the readiness questionnaire subscales. We tested the association of all subscales with employers' current implementation of wellness policies, programs, and communications, and conducted a path analysis to test the associations in the theory of organizational readiness to change.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each of the readiness subscales exhibited acceptable internal reliability (coefficient alpha range, .75-.88) and was positively associated with wellness program implementation ( p < .05). The path analysis was consistent with the theory of organizational readiness to change, except change efficacy did not predict change-related effort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We developed a new questionnaire to assess small workplaces' readiness to adopt and implement evidence-based wellness programs. Our findings also provide empirical validation of Weiner's theory of readiness for change.
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Promotion Research Center (a CDC Prevention Research Center), Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Peggy A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hannon
authors.affiliation: 2 Northwest Health Services Research & Development Center of Excellence, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington.|3 Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Christian D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Helfrich
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: K Gary
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Promotion Research Center (a CDC Prevention Research Center), Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Claire L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Promotion Research Center (a CDC Prevention Research Center), Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hammerback
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Promotion Research Center (a CDC Prevention Research Center), Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Marlana J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kohn
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Promotion Research Center (a CDC Prevention Research Center), Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Amanda T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Parrish
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Health Policy and Management, UNC Gillings Global School of Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Bryan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.affiliation: 1 Health Promotion Research Center (a CDC Prevention Research Center), Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: Health focus: fitness/physical activity; Measure Development; Outcome measure: cognitive and behavioral; Prevention Research. Manuscript format: research; Readiness for Change; Research purpose: instrument development; Setting: workplace; Strategy: policy; Study design: nonexperimental; Target population circumstances: education/income level; Target population: adults; Workplace Health Promotion; and weight control; culture change; nutrition; smoking control