Primary care worksite weight management program

PurposeRecent public health initiatives have promoted accumulating 10,000 steps per day. Little previous research has evaluated the using pedometer in sustaining the physical activity level during worksite intervention. Hence, this study aims to the step changes of pedometer in a multicomponent worksite intervention.Design/methodology/approachThis trial enrolled 43 participants recruited from brochures at outpatient clinic. Throughout the 12-week multidisciplinary lifestyle program, participant required to wear a pedometer and reported daily step count at baseline, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th week. The primary outcome measure was the step goal over the 12th week of intervention.FindingsAll subjects regardless men and women prior enter into the intervention recorded less than 5,000 of average steps count per day which is sedentary. At the 12th week of intervention, there were only 9.3 per cent subjects are sedentary. Majority of subjects (55.8 per cent) had achieved at least somewhat active, followed by low active (23.3 per cent). There were only 11.6 per cent subjects are classified as highly active at the end of the intervention. The result indicated the changes of average steps per day from baseline to 2nd (p< 0.01), 4th (p< 0.01), 6th (p< 0.01), 8th (p< 0.01), 10th (p< 0.01) and 12th (p< 0.01) week were significant. Likewise, the changes of average steps per day from previous time were significant at 4th (p< 0.01) week and 10th (p< 0.001) week.Research limitations/implicationsThis study did not associate the improvement health parameter and step counter as the core stone of this study intervention were extensive individual dietary regime and reinforcement of ZUMBA participation among participants through motivational interviewing counseling. Third, there was no control group in this study, where no pedometer and goal setting were provided to the control group in the previous reported effectiveness study (Jian Pei et al., 2017).Originality/valueThe step goal during a multicomponent worksite intervention in primary health-care setting has not been clearly defined. Besides, there are no clear data of generally daily step among primary health-care employees.

A Qualitative Study to Assess Barber Perceptions of the Feasibility of the Employer as a Health Advisor for Obesity Prevention

Obesity has become a serious issue affecting millions of Americans, especially in the southern United States. One avenue for addressing obesity is the workplace setting. This formative research study examined the feasibility of an obesity prevention worksite intervention in the barbershop for African American barbershop owners (employers) and barbers (employees). The study proposes an intervention where the owner of the barbershop would be trained to educate his barbers about obesity prevention. Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with the owners ( n = 5) and barbers ( n = 15) of five barbershops in Statesboro, Georgia, to determine the feasibility of the intervention. The results of this study indicated that the owners and barbers all felt that the intervention was feasible and could be implemented in the barbershop. The owners and barbers felt that obesity was an important issue in their community. Additional themes identified include program benefits, empowerment of owners and barbers, and motivational components to help produce healthy habits. The owners felt comfortable educating their barbers about obesity prevention, and the barbers were receptive toward the idea of being educated by their employer. In order for this intervention to be implemented and effective, it must be tailored to fit within the barbershop environment. This intervention addresses known health disparities that exist in the African American community and underscores the need for additional worksite health promotion programs in medically underserved communities.