Source
Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. ron.goetzel@thomsonreuters.com
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
Evaluate innovative, evidence-based approaches to organizational/supportive environmental interventions aimed at reducing the prevalence of obesity among Dow employees after 2 years of implementation.
METHODS:
A quasi-experimental study design compared outcomes for two levels of intervention intensity with a control group. Propensity scores were used to weight baseline differences between intervention and control subjects. Difference-in-differences methods and multilevel modeling were used to control for individual and site-level confounders.
RESULTS:
Intervention participants maintained their weight and body mass index, whereas control participants gained 1.3 pounds and increased their body mass index values by 0.2 over 2 years. Significant differences in blood pressure and cholesterol values were observed when comparing intervention employees with controls. At higher intensity sites, improvements were more pronounced.
CONCLUSIONS:
Environmental interventions at the workplace can support weight management and risk reduction after 2 years.