Prevalence of overweight/obesity in Native Hawaiians is almost 75%. Excess adiposity is associated with increased risks of cancer and poor cancer outcomes. We propose a randomized control trial (RCT) to adapt and test an evidence-based weight loss intervention for use in Native Hawaiian-serving organizations in Hawai'i, using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. The proposed 5-year study is informed by findings from our two previous NIH-funded projects CThe Designing Healthy Worksites (DHW) . Project and The PILI Lifestyle Intervention (PILI). PILI already has been adapted and testing in Native Hawaiian communities in Hawaii. This proposal would adapt and test it in Native Hawaiian-serving worksites who have expressed an interest in establishing worksite wellness programs. Specifically, we will 1) Adapt and implement PILI Wt Loss and PILI Maintenance in Native Hawaiian-serving organizations, working with employee representatives to determine how the intervention can be best implemented with employees in worksites (PILI Wt Loss and PILI Maintenance together wdll be called PILI(g)Work). 2) Among employees participating in PILI@Work, to test whether PILI Maintenance in DVD format is as effective as PILI Maintenance in Group in maintaining weight loss for employees who complete PILI Wt Loss. Upon successful completion, we hope to demonstrate that maintenance programs after weight-loss can be sustained using simple technology, such as DVDs or peer group instructors. We expect that these findings can be extrapolated to other Pacific Islander communities or perhaps other Native communities nationwide and in the broader Pacific. Future studies could include culturally-tailored programs in tribal or other Pacific Islander communities based on the design and implementation of our current PILI@Work study. We also envision use of DVDs at the workplace to encourage other healthy behaviors among employees at risk for overweight, obesity, or other chronic health conditions.
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