Effect of a behavior changing program on the health behavior and nutrition of overweight employees in the workplace

Abstract

Abstract:
The purpose of this quasi-experimental study, using a two-group, pre-posttest design, was to examine the effects of a behavioral modification program on the food consumption behavior, physical activity behavior, and nutritional status of overweight employees in the workplace. The sample group consisted of 60 people aged 35-45 years in Bangkok, Thailand. They were selected based on the inclusion criteria, and the randomized sampling technique was used to divide the experimental and control groups
(30 each). The program based on Health Belief Model was given to the experimental group, behavior during a 6-week period. Before and after the intervention, the tools used to collect the data were eating and physical activity behaviors questionnaires, the Body Mass Index (BMI), and waist circumference. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test. The results
indicated that the mean score for the eating behaviors and the physical activity behaviors in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group and the BMI of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control. The waist circumference for the experimental group before the program was significantly lower than after the experimental program but not lower than that of the control. This study
suggests that the behavior changing program can be used for health personnel for obesity prevention among adults in workplaces.

Keywords: Eating behavior, Physical activity behavior, Employees in the workplace,Body Mass Index, Waist circumference, Health Belief Model