A Los Angeles REACH demonstration project led by Community Health Councils, Inc. adapted and implemented an organizational wellness intervention originally developed by the local health department, providing training in incorporating physical activity and healthy food choices into the routine “conduct of business” in 35 predominantly public and private, nonprofit-sector agencies. A total of 700 staff, members, or clients completed the 12-week or subsequently retooled 6-week curriculum. Attendance and retention rates between baseline and postintervention assessments were improved substantially in the shortened offering. Feelings of sadness or depression decreased significantly (p = .00), fruit and vegetable intake increased significantly (+0.5 servings/day, p = .00), and body mass index decreased marginally (-0.5 kg/m2, p = .08) among 12-week participants. The numbers of days in which individuals participated in vigorous physical activity increased significantly among 6-week participants (+0.3, p = .00). This model holds promise for extending the reach of environmentally focused work-site wellness programming to organizations and at-risk populations not traditionally engaged by such efforts.
Abramson, S., Stein, J., Schaufele, M., Frates, E., & Rogan, S. (2000). Personal exercise habits and counseling practices of primary care physicians: a national survey. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 10(1), 40-48.
2.
Aldana, S. G. (2001). Financial impact of health promotion programs: A comprehensive review of the literature. American Journal of Health Promotion, 15(5), 296-320.
3.
Aldana, S. G., & Pronk, N. P. (2001). Health promotion programs, modifiable health risks, and employee absenteeism. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 43(1), 36-46.
4.
Backman, D. R., Carman, J. S., & Aldana, S. G. (2004). Fruits and vegetables and physical activity at the worksite: Business leaders and working women speak out on access and environment. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Health Services.
5.
Bandura, A. (2004). Health promotion by social cognitive means. Health Education & Behavior, 31(2), 143-164.
6.
Bedimo-Rung, A. L., Mowen, A. J., & Cohen, D. A. (2005). The significance of parks to physical activity and public health: A conceptual model. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(2S2), 159-168.
7.
Beresford, S. A., Shannon, J., McLerran, D., & Thompson, B. (2000). Seattle 5-a-Day Work-Site Project: Process evaluation. Health Education & Behavior, 27, 213-222.
8.
Berger, P., & Neuhaus, J. (1996). To empower people: From state to civil society (2nd ed.) Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute Press.
9.
Boreham, C. A., Wallace, W. F., & Nevill, A. (2000). Training effects of accumulated daily stair-climbing exercise in previously sedentary young women. Preventive Medicine, 30, 277-281.
10.
Cassady, D., Jang, V., Tanjasiri, S., & Morrison, C. (1999). California gets “ON THE MOVE!”Journal of Health Education, 30(2), S6-S12.
11.
Craig, C. L., Marshall, A. L., Sjostrom, M., Bauman, A. E., Booth, M. L., Ainsworth, B. E., et al. (2003) International Physical Activity Questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35, 1381-1395.
12.
Crawford, P. B., Gosliner, W., Strode, P., Samuels, S. E., Burnett, C., Craypo, L., et al. (2004) Walking the talk: Fit wic wellness programs improve self-efficacy in pediatric obesity prevention counseling. American Journal of Public Health, 94, 1480-1485.
13.
Dishman, R. K., Oldenburg, B., O’Neal, H., & Shephard, R. J. (1998). Worksite physical activity interventions. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 15, 344-361.
14.
Dunn, A. L., Marcus, B. H., Kampert, J. B., Garcia, M. E., Kohl, H. W., III, & Blair, S. N. (1999). Comparison of lifestyle and structured interventions to increase physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 281, 327-334.
15.
Ekkekakis, P., Hall, E. E., VanLanduyt, L. M., & Petruzzello, S. J. (2000). Walking in (affective) circles: Can short walks enhance affect?Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 23, 245-275.
16.
Elbel, R., Aldana, S., Bloswick, D., & Lyon, J. L. (2003). A pilot study evaluating a peer led and professional led physical activity intervention with blue-collar employees. Work, 21, 199-210.
17.
Emmons, K. M. (2000). Health behaviors in a social context. In L. F. Berkman & I. Kawachi (Eds.), Health behaviors in a social context (pp. 242-266). New York: Oxford University Press.
18.
Emmons, K. M., Linnan, L., Abrams, D., & Lovell, H. J. (1996). Women who work in manufacturing settings: Factors influencing their participation in worksite health promotion programs. Womens Health Issues, 6(2), 74-81.
19.
Erfurt, J. C., Foote, A., Heirich, M. A., & Gregg, W. (1990). Improving participation in worksite wellness programs: Comparing health education classes, a menu approach, and follow-up counseling. American Journal of Health Promotion, 4, 270-278.
20.
Estabrooks, P. A., Lee, R. E., & Gyurcsik, N. C. (2003). Resources for physical activity participation: does availability and accessibility differ by neighborhood socioeconomic status?Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 25, 100-104.
21.
Frank, E., Breyan, J., & Elon, L. (2000). Physician disclosure of healthy personal behaviors improves credibility and ability to motivate. Archives of Family Medicine, 9, 287-290.
22.
French, S. A., Story, M., & Jeffery, R. W. (2001). Environmental influences on eating and physical activity. Annual Review of Public Health, 22, 309-335.
23.
Giles-Corti, B., & Donovan, R. J. (2002). The relative influence of individual, social and physical environment determinants of physical activity. Social Science & Medicine, 54, 1793-1812.
24.
Golaszewski, T., Barr, D., & Pronk, N. (2003) Development of assessment tools to measure organizational support for employee health. American Journal of Health Behavior, 27(1), 43-54.
25.
Goodman, R. M., McLeroy, K. R., Steckler, A. B., & Hoyle, R. H. (1993). Development of level of institutionalization scales for health promotion programs. Health Education Quarterly, 20(2), 161-178.
26.
Hedley, A. A., Ogden, C. L., Johnson, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Curtin, L. R., & Flegal, K. M. (2004). Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, 1999-2002. Journal of the American Medical Association, 291, 2847-2850.
27.
Jeffery, R. W., Drewnowski, A., Epstein, L. H., Stunkard, A. J., Wilson, G. T., Wing, R. R., et al. (2000). Long-term maintenance of weight loss: Current status. Health Psychology, 19(Suppl. 1), 5-16.
28.
Kerr, N. A., Yore, M. M., Ham, S. A., & Dietz, W. H. (2004). Increasing stair use in a worksite through environmental changes. American Journal of Health Promotion, 18, 312-315.
29.
Kersh, R., & Morone, J. (2002). The politics of obesity: Seven steps to government action. Health Affairs, 26(6), 142-153.
30.
Lewis, C. E., Wells, K. B., & Ware, J. (1986). A model for predicting the counseling practices of physicians. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 1(1), 14-19.
31.
Linenger, J. M., Chesson, C. V., II, Nice, D. S. (1991). Physical fitness gains following simple environmental change. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 7, 298-310.
32.
Linnan, L. A., & Marcus, B. H. (2001). Worksite-based physical activity programs and older adults: Current status and priorities for the future. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 9, S59-S70.
33.
Martin, J. B., Holcomb, J. D., & Mullen, P. D. (1987). Health promotion and disease prevention beliefs and behaviors of dietetic practitioners. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 87, 609-614.
34.
Matson-Koffman, D. M., Brownstein, J. N., Neiner, J. A., & Greaney, M. L. (2005). A site-specific literature review of policy and environmental interventions that promote physical activity and nutrition for cardiovascular health: What works?American Journal of Health Promotion, 19(3), 167-193.
35.
McKeever, C., Faddis, C., Koroloff, N., & Henn, J. (2004). Wellness within REACH: Mind, body, and soul: A no-cost physical activity program for African Americans in Portland, Oregon, to combat cardiovascular disease. Ethnicity & Disease, 14(Suppl. 1), S93-S101.
36.
McKenzie, T. L., Cohen, D. A., Sehgal, A., & Golinelli, D. (2005, February). System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Communities (SOPARC): Reliability and feasibility measures. Paper presented at the Annual Conference, Active Living Research, Coronado, CA.
37.
Mercer, S. L., Green, L. W., Rosenthal, A. C., Husten, C. G., Khan, L. K., & Dietz, W. H. (2003). Possible lessons from the tobacco experience for obesity control. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 77(Suppl.), 1073S-1082S.
38.
Pelletier, K. R. (1996). A review and analysis of the health and cost-effective outcome studies of comprehensive health promotion and disease prevention programs at the worksite: 1993-1995 update. American Journal of Health Promotion, 10, 380-388.
39.
Peltomaki, P., Johansson, M., Ahrens, W., Sala, M., Wesseling, C., Brenes, F., et al. (2003). Social context for workplace health promotion: Feasibility considerations in Costa Rica, Finland, Germany, Spain and Sweden. Health Promotion International, 18(2), 115-126.
40.
Pohjonen, T., & Ranta, R. (2001). Effects of worksite physical exercise intervention on physical fitness, perceived health status, and work ability among home care workers: Five-year follow-up. Preventive Medicine, 32, 465-475.
41.
Powell, L. M., Slater, S., & Chaloupka, F. J. (2004). The relationship between community physical activity settings and race, ethnicity, and SES. Evidence-Based Preventive Medicine, 1(2), 135-144.
42.
Rapkin, B. D., & Luke, D. (1993). Cluster analysis in community research: Epistemology and practice. American Journal of Community Psychology, 21, 247-277.
43.
Riedel, J. E., Lynch, W., Baase, C., Hymel, P., & Peterson, K. W. (2001). The effect of disease prevention and health promotion on workplace productivity: A literature review. American Journal of Health Promotion, 15(3), 167-191.
44.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. New York: Free Press.
45.
Shephard, R. J. (1996). Worksite fitness and exercise programs: A review of methodology and health impact. American Journal of Health Promotion, 10, 436-452.
46.
Simon, P. A., Wold, C. M., Cousineau, M. R., & Fielding, J. E. (2001). Meeting the data needs of a local health department: The Los Angeles County Health Survey. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 1950-1952.
47.
Sloane, D. C., Diamant, A. L., Lewis, L. B., Yancey, A. K., Flynn, G., Nascimento, L. M., et al. (2003). Improving the nutritional resource environment for healthy living through community-based participatory research. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 18, 568-575.
48.
Smith, S. C., Jr., Clark, L. T., Cooper, R. S., Daniels, S. R., Kumanyika, S. K., Ofili, E., et al. (2005). Discovering the full spectrum of cardiovascular disease: Minority Health Summit 2003: Report of the Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Hypertension Writing Group. Circulation, 111(10), e134-e139.
49.
Stahl, T., Rutten, A., Nutbeam, D., Bauman, A., Kannas, L., Abel, T., et al. (2001). The importance of the social environment for physically active lifestyle—Results from an international study. Social Science & Medicine, 52(1), 1-10.
50.
Steckler, A. B., Goodman, R. M., & Alciati, M. H. (1997). Collecting and analyzing organizational level data for health behavior research. Health Education Research, 12(3), 1-4.
51.
Steckler, A. B., Goodman, R. M., McLeroy, K. R., Davis, S., & Koch, G. (1992). Measuring the diffusion of innovative health promotion programs. American Journal of Health Promotion, 6, 214-224.
52.
Stewart, J. A., Dennison, D. A., Kohl, H. W., & Doyle, J. A. (2004). Exercise level and energy expenditure in the take 10! In-class physical activity program. Journal of School Health, 74, 397-400.
53.
Stokols, D., Grzywacz, J. G., McMahan, S., & Phillips, K. (2003). Increasing the health promotive capacity of human environments. American Journal of Health Promotion, 18(1), 4-13.
54.
Stokols, D., Pelletier, K. R., & Fielding, J. E. (1996). The ecology of work and health: Research and policy directions for the promotion of employee health. Health Education Quarterly, 23(2), 137-158.
55.
Sturm, R. (2002). The effects of obesity, smoking, and drinking on medical problems and costs. Health Affairs, 21, 245-253.
56.
Sturm, R. (2004). The economics of physical activity: Societal trends and rationales for intervention. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 27(3S), 126-135.
57.
Swinburn, B., Gill, T., & Kumanyika, S. (2005). Obesity prevention: A proposed framework for translating evidence into action. Obesity Reviews, 6, 23-33.
58.
Thompson, S. E., Smith, B. A., & Bybee, R. F. (2005). Factors influencing participation in worksite wellness programs among minority and underserved populations. Family Community Health, 28, 267-273.
59.
Visscher, T. L. S., & Seidell, J. C. (2001). The public health impact of obesity. Annual Review of Public Health, 22, 355-375.
60.
Washington, W. N. (2004). Collaborative/participatory research. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 15(1), 18-29.
61.
Whitmer, R. W., Pelletier, K. R., Anderson, D. R., Baase, C. M., & Frost, G. J. (2003). A wake-up call for corporate America. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 45, 916-925.
62.
Yancey, A. K., Lewis, L. B., Sloane, D. C., Guinyard, J. J., Diamant, A. L., Nascimento, L. M., et al. (2004). Leading by example: A local health department-community collaboration to incorporate physical activity into organizational practice. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 10(2), 116-123.
63.
Yancey, A. K., McCarthy, W. J., Siegel, J. M., Leslie, J., & Harrison, G. G. (in press). Results of a randomized, controlled lifestyle change intervention: African-American women fight cancer with fitness. Journal of Women’s Health (Larchmt).
64.
Yancey, A. K., McCarthy, W. J., Taylor, W. C., Merlo, A., Gewa, C., Weber, M. D., et al. (2004). The Los Angeles Lift Off: A sociocultural environmental change intervention to integrate physical activity into the workplace. Preventive Medicine, 38, 848-856.
65.
Yancey, A. K., Ortega, A. N., & Kumanyika, S. K. (in press). Effective recruitment and retention of minority research participants. Annual Review of Public Health.
