Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Worksite-Weight-Loss Program for Cancer Prevention among School-District Employees with Overweight and Obesity

Che Young Lee, Michael C. Robertson, Hannah Johnston, Thuan Le, Margaret Raber, Ruth Rechis, Katherine Oestman, Alise Neff, Amber Macneish and Karen M. Basen-Engquist ()
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Che Young Lee: Department of Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Michael C. Robertson: Department of Nutrition, Metabolism & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Hannah Johnston: Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Thuan Le: Department of Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Margaret Raber: Department of Pediatrics-Nutrition, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Ruth Rechis: Be Well Comminutes, Cancer Prevention and Control Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Katherine Oestman: Be Well Comminutes, Cancer Prevention and Control Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Alise Neff: Department of Physical Education/Health and Wellness, Pasadena Independent School District, Pasadena, TX 77502, USA
Amber Macneish: Department of Physical Education/Health and Wellness, Pasadena Independent School District, Pasadena, TX 77502, USA
Karen M. Basen-Engquist: Department of Health Disparities Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: The effects of Vibrant Lives, a 6-month worksite-weight-loss program, were examined in a cohort of school-district employees with overweight or obesity. The VL Basic (VLB) participants received materials and tailored text messages, the VL Plus (VLP) participants additionally received WIFI-enabled activity monitors and scales and participated in health challenges throughout the school year, and the VL Plus with Support (VLP + S) participants additionally received coaching support. The levels of program satisfaction and retention and changes in weight, physical activity (PA), and diet were compared across groups using Pearson chi-square tests, repeated-measure mixed models, and logistic regression. After the program, the VLB ( n = 131), VLP ( n = 87), and VLP + S ( n = 88) groups had average weight losses of 2.5, 2.5, and 3.4 kg, respectively, and average increases in weekly PA of 40.4, 35.8, and 65.7 min, respectively. The VLP + S participants were more likely than the other participants to have clinically significant weight loss (≥3%; p = 0.026). Compared with the VLB participants, the VLP participants were less likely to meet the recommendations for consuming fast food ( p = 0.022) and sugar-sweetened beverages ( p = 0.010). The VLP and VLP + S participants reported higher program satisfaction than the VLB participants. The VL program facilitates weight loss among school-district employees with overweight and obesity by increasing their PA and healthy diet.

Keywords: weight loss; worksite intervention; community intervention; health behaviors; cancer prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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