| Many working adults are not meeting the recommended daily minimum of five servings of fruit and vegetables and do not adhere to the recommended levels of daily exercise. The study assessed the impact of exposure to on-site workplace wellness programs on meeting physical activity days per week and fruit and vegetable consumption per day. The programs help improve outcomes among already at risk African American employees. According to social cognitive theory, offering programs on site should improve outcomes by increasing convenience and reducing barriers. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System questions modified for self-administration were used to assess 379 employees via e-mail and Facebook. Multiple logistic regression analysis tested the independent effects of the program while controlling for confounding effects of the covariates. The covariates in the study were exposure to a strictly web-based program, age, gender, education, ethnicity, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and BMI. The odds of meeting recommended levels of exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption for employees were not related to availability of an on-site wellness program. However, participation in a wellness program was related to exercise five days or more per week (OR=1.98, 95% CI=1.103 -- 3.55) as was being African American vs. other races (OR=1.74, 95% CI=1.05 -- 2.90) regardless of the type of program offered. Implications for positive social change include encouraging employee participation in wellness programs that can have positive health benefits to employees. |
