Development and Validation of the Policies, Opportunities, Initiatives and Notable Topics (POINTS) Audit for Campuses and Worksites

Tanya M. Horacek, Marlei Simon, Elif Dede Yildirim, Adrienne A. White, Karla P. Shelnutt, Kristin Riggsbee, Melissa D. Olfert, Jesse Stabile Morrell, Anne E. Mathews, Wenjun Zhou, Tandalayo Kidd, Kendra Kattelmann, Geoffrey Greene, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Sarah Colby, Carol Byrd-Bredbenner and Onikia Brown
Additional contact information
Tanya M. Horacek: Department of Public Health Food Studies and Nutrition, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
Marlei Simon: Department of Public Health Food Studies and Nutrition, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
Elif Dede Yildirim: Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
Adrienne A. White: School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5735, USA
Karla P. Shelnutt: Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Kristin Riggsbee: Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Melissa D. Olfert: Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, School of Agriculture, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
Jesse Stabile Morrell: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
Anne E. Mathews: Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Wenjun Zhou: Department of Business Analytics and Statistics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Tandalayo Kidd: Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
Kendra Kattelmann: Health and Nutritional Sciences Department, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
Geoffrey Greene: Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
Lisa Franzen-Castle: Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
Sarah Colby: Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Carol Byrd-Bredbenner: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Onikia Brown: Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Hospitality Management, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: Background: Workplace or campus wellness/obesity-prevention policies and initiatives can improve health. Research tools to assess worksite or campus policies/initiatives are scarce. Thus, the aim of this research is to develop and validate the policies, opportunities, initiatives, and notable topics (POINTS) audit. Methods: POINTS was developed and refined via expert review, pilot-testing, and field testing. Trained researchers completed a web-based review from a student-focus or employee-focus regarding 34 health-promoting topics for colleges. Each topic was evaluated on a 0–2 scale: 0 = no policy/initiative, 1 = initiatives, 2 = written policy. When a written policy was detected, additional policy support questions (administered, monitored, reviewed) were completed. Results: Cronbach’s Alpha for the student-focused POINTS audit was α = 0.787 (34 items, possible points = 65), and for the employee-focused POINTS audit was α = 0.807 (26 items, possible points = 50). A total of 115 student-focused and 33 employee-focused audits were completed. Although there was little evidence of policy presence beyond stimulant standards (smoking and alcohol), there were extensive examples of health initiatives. The student-focused POINTS audit was validated using the Healthier Campus Initiative’s survey. Conclusions: POINTS is a web-based audit tool that is valid and useful for pre-assessment, advocacy, benchmarking, and tracking policies for health and well-being for students (campus) and employees (worksite).

Keywords: environmental audit; web-based assessment; health promotion policy; college (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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