participant characteristics associated with greater reductions in waist circumference during a four-month, pedometer-based, workplace health program参与者特征与更大的四个月期间减少腰围,pedometer-based,工作场所的健康计划.pdf

Freak-Poli et al. BMC Public Health 2011, 11:824 /1471-2458/11/824 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Participant characteristics associated with greater reductions in waist circumference during a four- month, pedometer-based, workplace health program * Rosanne LA Freak-Poli , Rory Wolfe, Helen Walls, Kathryn Backholer and Anna Peeters Abstract Background: Workplace health programs have demonstrated improvements in a number of risk factors for chronic disease. However, there has been little investigation of participant characteristics that may be associated with change in risk factors during such programs. The aim of this paper is to identify participant characteristics associated with improved waist circumference (WC) following participation in a four-month, pedometer-based, physical activity, workplace health program. Methods: 762 adults employed in primarily sedentary occupations and voluntarily enrolled in a four-month workplace program aimed at increasing physical activity were recruited from ten Australian worksites in 2008. Seventy-nine percent returned at the end of the health program. Data included demographic, behavioural, anthropometric and biomedical measurements. WC change (before versus after) was assessed by multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses. Seven groupings of potential associated variables from baseline were sequentially added to build progressively larger regression models. Results: Greater improvement in WC during the program was associated with having completed tertiary education, consuming two or less standard alcoholic beverages in one occasion in the twelve months prior to baseline, undertaking less baseline weekend sitting time and lower baseline total cholesterol. A greater WC at baseline was strongly associated with a greater improvement in W