Reducing the prevalence of obesity in the population is one of the Healthy People 2010 goals, and increased vigilance is required in all age groups in preventing and reversing overweight and obesity. On an individual level, behavioral factors that influence body weight include eating choices leading to excess calorie intake and physical activity patterns leading to diminished calorie expenditure. A balance between the two over time leads to increased weight. On a population basis, the prevalence of overweight is associated with a myriad of influences, including social, behavioral, cultural, and environmental factors as well as genetic and physiological factors. For a majority of overweight individuals, restoring a balance between energy intake and expenditure is difficult, and therefore there is an increasing emphasis on preventing obesity on a population level. The long-term goal of this research is to prevent further increase in rates of obesity in the population. In the adult population of working age, a majority of the day is spent in the worksite, suggesting that interventions at the worksite level may offer the opportunity for success in this age group. We propose to develop and test a comprehensive intervention with simple messages that will integrate changes in dietary intake with changes in energy expenditure, while simultaneously modifying structural and environmental factors to promote social support and opportunities for behavioral change. We will recruit and randomize 48 worksites to a two year intervention in which we will: build a physical activity intervention combining increased daily physical activity and regular, structured exercise; build a dietary intervention that will promote lower calorie intake; increase worksite access to both healthy foods and physical activity. Our primary aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing or maintaining body mass index in a randomized controlled trial of worksites. We will compare changes in body mass index in intervention versus control worksites using two cross-sectional surveys at baseline and follow-up. Additional assessments using biomarkers and fitness measures will be performed in a subset of employees. Our team has considerable experience with interventions at the worksite level and substantial expertise in obesity prevention. We anticipate that this project will yield important contributions to the understanding of obesity prevention.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL079491-04
Application #
7257137
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZHL1-CSR-G (S1))
Program Officer
Pratt, Charlotte
Project Start
2004-09-30
Project End
2011-06-30
Budget Start
2007-07-01
Budget End
2011-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$1,102,495
Indirect Cost
Name
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
078200995
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98109
Barrington, Wendy E; Beresford, Shirley A A (2018) Applying Multiple Statistical Methods to Derive an Index of Dietary Behaviors Most Related to Obesity. Am J Epidemiol 187:1559-1569
Barrington, Wendy E; Beresford, Shirley A A; Koepsell, Thomas D et al. (2015) Worksite neighborhood and obesogenic behaviors: findings among employees in the Promoting Activity and Changes in Eating (PACE) trial. Am J Prev Med 48:31-41
Tamers, Sara L; Thompson, Beti; Cheadle, Allen D et al. (2015) Promoting changes in obesogenic behaviors: does coworker social support play a role? Am J Health Promot 29:311-3
Harris, Jeffrey R; Hannon, Peggy A; Beresford, Shirley A A et al. (2014) Health promotion in smaller workplaces in the United States. Annu Rev Public Health 35:327-42
Cash, Stephanie Whisnant; Duncan, Glen E; Beresford, Shirley A A et al. (2013) Increases in physical activity may affect quality of life differently in men and women: the PACE project. Qual Life Res 22:2381-8
Barrington, Wendy E; Ceballos, Rachel M; Bishop, Sonia K et al. (2012) Perceived stress, behavior, and body mass index among adults participating in a worksite obesity prevention program, Seattle, 2005-2007. Prev Chronic Dis 9:E152
Cash, Stephanie Whisnant; Beresford, Shirley A A; Henderson, Jo Ann et al. (2012) Dietary and physical activity behaviours related to obesity-specific quality of life and work productivity: baseline results from a worksite trial. Br J Nutr 108:1134-42
Tamers, Sara L; Beresford, Shirley A A; Thompson, Beti et al. (2011) Exploring the role of co-worker social support on health care utilization and sickness absence. J Occup Environ Med 53:751-7
Tamers, Sara L; Beresford, Shirley A A; Cheadle, Allen D et al. (2011) The association between worksite social support, diet, physical activity and body mass index. Prev Med 53:53-6
Beresford, Shirley A A; Bishop, Sonia K; Brunner, Nicole L et al. (2010) Environmental assessment at worksites after a multilevel intervention to promote activity and changes in eating: the PACE project. J Occup Environ Med 52 Suppl 1:S22-8

Showing the most recent 10 out of 13 publications