Which Worksite Supports for Healthy Weight Do Employees Use?

• Published in: Environment and behavior Vol. 48; no. 1; pp. 131 - 149
• Main Authors: Tabak, Rachel G., Hipp, J. Aaron, Marx, Christine M., Yang, Lin, Brownson, Ross C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2016; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adjustment; Cross sections; Demographics; Demography; Employees; Exercise; Fitness; Flexibility; Indoor; Job characteristics; Nutrition; Occupational health; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Physical training; Policies; Regression; Regression analysis; Showers; Weight; Working hours; nutrition; workplace health promotion; obesity prevention; workplace environment and policies; physical activity; Workplace health promotion; Nutrition; Physical activity; Workplace environment and policies; Obesity prevention
• ISSN: 0013-9165; 1552-390X
• DOI: 10.1177/0013916515607311

This article explores factors associated with employee use of available supports for improving nutrition and activity behaviors. A cross-sectional telephone survey assessed presence and use of available program, facility, and policy supports. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between job characteristics (e.g., supervising others) and use of available supports, adjusting for demographic characteristics. After adjustment, most supports were associated with at least one job-related factor. Participants supervising others were more likely to utilize eight supports, including personal services for fitness, indoor exercise and shower facilities, and flextime for physical activity. The programs and facilities associated with the most factors were health fairs (e.g., increased likelihood with increased hours worked per week) and indoor exercise and shower facilities (e.g., increased likelihood with increased flexibility at work), respectively. Policies were associated with fewer factors. As use of many programs and facilities differed based on job-related factors, employers might target supports based on job-related factors.