An exploratory study of manufacturing employee interest in health promotion activity in a rural region.Abstract: Small businesses have not historically had the opportunity or resources to provide health promotion in the workplace. This study investigated the likelihood that employees would participate in health promotion activities in the small manufacturing setting. Two hundred-twenty eight employees from seven small manufacturing sites completed a survey requesting their opinions of 20 health promotion activities (72% return rate). Overall response to participation was moderate, with two of 20 programmatic pro·gram·mat·ic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or having a program. 2. Following an overall plan or schedule: a step-by-step, programmatic approach to problem solving. 3. areas averaging at least a 3.0 rating on a 4.0 scale (retirement planning Retirement financial planning refers to a collection of systems, methods, and processes which, in their aggregate, support a family unit's (client's) desire to achieve a state of financial independence, such that the need to be gainfully employed is optional. , stress management). Back injury prevention, cancer prevention, and fitness programs completed the top five programs. Employees over 40, women, and supervisors indicated the greatest likelihood of participation. ********** Public health became a nationally focused effort in 1979 with the publication of Healthy People from the office of the Surgeon General The U.S. Surgeon General is charged with the protection and advancement of health in the United States. Since the 1960s the surgeon general has become a highly visible federal public health official, speaking out against known health risks such as tobacco use, and promoting disease . This document has become the driving force in funding and national focus on which health issues were to be addressed in the public sector, emphasizing the increase of quality span of healthy life and the elimination of health disparities
Health disparities (also called health inequalities in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. for members of society (USDHHS USDHHS, n.pr See United States Department of Health and Human Services. , 2000). Throughout the history of Healthy People, now in its 3rd edition, heart disease, cancer, and stroke have been identified as the top three killers of Americans, remaining unchanged even with national focus (USDHHS, 2000). In 1994, heart disease accounted for 32.1% of all deaths in the US, cancer accounted for 23.5%, and stroke accounted for 6.8% (National Center for Health Statistics National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. NCHS is the United States' principal health statistics agency. , 1996). In 1997, those figures remained virtually unchanged at 31.4%, 23.3%, and 6.9%, respectively (USDHHS, 2000). The three major chronic diseases account for 62% of all deaths (National Center for Health Statistics, 1996). Each disease has the potential to be reduced significantly through reduction of risky lifestyle behaviors. The benefits of health promotion at work for employees and employers are clearly researched and summarized (Aldana Aldana is a town and municipality in the Nariño Department, Colombia. • • [ , 2001; Chapman, 1996; Chenoweth Chenoweth can refer to: People
prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Healthy People 2000, is, in part, a community responsibility. Business is specifically noted as a dominant player in addressing the health of its employees, stating: ... employees can work to make community health promotion services available at the worksite for themselves, dependents, and retirees. Many important disease prevention and health promotion activities, such as smoking cessation, diet modification, and physical conditioning, can be accomplished at the worksite in an effective and efficient manner. Company policies can help create a healthy work environment ... (USDHHS, 1990, p. 86) States also acknowledge the role that the worksite can play in health and wellness. Specifically, Illinois Illinois, river, United States Illinois, river, 273 mi (439 km) long, formed by the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers, NE Ill., and flowing SW to the Mississippi at Grafton, Ill. It is an important commercial and recreational waterway. recognizes businesses as one of 14 entities responsible for providing leadership in the prevention focus of the state's public health system (Public Health Futures Illinois, 2000). In their study, D'Arcy D'arcy may refer to: In places:
American army officer and public official who founded and directed (1942-1945) the Office of Strategic Services, an intelligence-gathering agency that was a forerunner of the CIA. , and Jalleh (1998) determined that healthy workplace programs appeared less often in private, rural, and smaller worksites. Of 2,175 worksites, 30% of rural businesses implemented health promotion programs compared to 35% in metropolitan businesses. Businesses with between 50 and 199 employees were also less likely to implement health promotion activities than larger businesses (48 to 67%, respectively). Tessaro et al. (1992) reported that efforts to determine interests, especially among female workers, are necessary to help plan programs that will encourage participation. All of the above mentioned authors specifically state that small, rural businesses are in need of health promotion programming. Small manufacturing entities offer an important potential point of emphasis for worksite health promotion programs. This study was designed to determine whether small manufacturing settings displayed the levels of interest necessary to initiate implementation of a worksite-based health program and what program components are of the most interest to this population. Rural locations, in particular, are readily recognized as having a disproportionate dis·pro·por·tion·ate adj. Out of proportion, as in size, shape, or amount. dis  pro·por share of individuals with poor health
status. Injury-related deaths, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and
uninsured rates all exceed those in urban areas. All of these health
issues represent potential areas for modifications of lifestyle factors.
Numbers of individuals utilizing seat belts, exercising regularly and
taking advantage of preventive preventive /pre·ven·tive/ (pre-vent´iv) prophylactic. pre·ven·tive or pre·ven·ta·tive adj. Preventing or slowing the course of an illness or disease; prophylactic. n. screening are also lower in rural America America [for Amerigo Vespucci], the lands of the Western Hemisphere—North America, Central (or Middle) America, and South America. The world map published in 1507 by Martin Waldseemüller is the first known cartographic use of the name. (USDHHS, 2000). DESIGN In Illinois, one out of every seven employees (14.6%) work in manufacturing, totaling 741,908 people. In addition, of the 16,860 manufacturing settings in Illinois, 15,188, or 90%, have fewer than 100 employees (US Census, 2002). Due to the significance of the industry, manufacturing was the work environment chosen for study. This research study gathered opinions of management and employees in small-manufacturing settings concerning to the development of a corporate-sponsored worksite health promotion program. All sites in a five-county area of southern Illinois that met selection criteria (i.e., less than 80 employees, no current health promotion programs and non-union) were contacted and asked to participate in the study. Twenty-one twenty-one: see blackjack. companies fit the study criteria. Of the 21 companies seven agreed to participate, 10 declined, and 4 did not return contact. The number of employees at these 7 sites yielded a total potential sample of 315. The plants represented furniture and modular home Modular homes are houses that are divided into multiple modules or sections which are manufactured in a remote facility and then delivered to their intended site of use. The modules are assembled into a single residential building using either a crane or trucks. construction, textile screen-printing screen-print·ing n. See silk-screen. , appliance/industrial/tool developing, and electronic and electrical supplies industries. These companies were representative of the region. Participants included employees with (n = 48) and without (n = 180) supervisory responsibility. Supervisors were defined as owners, partners, or employees holding a supervisory position within the company. Employees were identified as personnel in salaried or hourly rate positions without the supervisory responsibilities. A survey instrument was created that combined an instrument by McClarren (1991) that focused on health promotion activities in the hospital setting, and surveys in the Guidelines guidelines, n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain tasks. far Employee Health Promotion Programs (Baun, Horton Horton, river, c.275 mi (440 km) long, rising in a lake N of Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada, and flowing NW to Franklin Bay, a part of the Beaufort Sea. , & Storlie, 1992). This instrument was used to identify a comprehensive list of programmatic areas for the study. The completed survey included 20 programs, each rated on a scale of 1 (no interest in participation) to 4 (great interest in participation). Based on Cronbach's alpha Cronbach's  (alpha) has an important use as a measure of the reliability of a psychometric instrument. It was first named as alpha by Cronbach (1951), as he had intended to continue with further instruments. calculation (SPSS-PC),
the survey had a reliability rating of.92.RESULTS Survey implementation was conducted at each site, primarily during safety meetings. Investigators explained the nature of the study, as well as employees' ability to opt-out To cancel some situation or condition. See opt-in. of completing the survey. In all, 228 of 315 possible employees (72%) chose to complete the survey. Some participants did not answer all of the survey questions. As a result, survey items were only deemed to have valid representation if at least 85% of respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. completed the question. No questions were eliminated; however, due to missing data, slight variations in the sample size exists for some items. Tables 1 and 2 reveal demographics The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. and mean overall ratings of programmatic offerings for the three main comparison groupings in the sample. Table 1 demonstrates that supervisors rated programs higher than employees, but not at a significant level. Table 2 reveals two significantly different relationships. Women showed a greater interest than men in participation and older respondents rated programs higher than younger respondents. Tables 1 and 2 contain summaries of these results. When the first subcategory sub·cat·e·go·ry n. pl. sub·cat·e·go·ries A subdivision that has common differentiating characteristics within a larger category. (status) was examined in depth and participants were asked to identify the programs they would classify clas·si·fy tr.v. clas·si·fied, clas·si·fy·ing, clas·si·fies 1. To arrange or organize according to class or category. 2. To designate (a document, for example) as confidential, secret, or top secret. as being important, ratings for individual program preferences were not statistically significant. Even so, there were noteworthy similarities and some slight differences among the top seven activities deemed important. Retirement planning and stress management ranked first and second in overall rating by both groups. While they differed in order of importance, both groups rated smoking cessation smoking cessation Public health Temporary or permanent halting of habitual cigarette smoking; withdrawal therapies–eg, hypnosis, psychotherapy, group counseling, exposing smokers to Pts with terminal lung CA and nicotine chewing gum are often ineffective. , back injury prevention, exercise, and cancer prevention in the top seven. Table 3 reveals each group's top seven rated areas. When comparisons were made based on age (those over 40 compared to those 40 and under), statistically significant differences in program preference did appear. Older participants identified retirement, stress management, back injury prevention, cancer, and high blood pressure programs as the health promotion programs that they were most likely to participate in. Younger employees expressed differences in their likelihood to participate in blood pressure, health changes, and issues in aging programs (See Table 4). Employees and supervisors under 40 years of age preferred (in order of rating) stress management, retirement, back injury prevention, and exercise and fitness classes. Aerobics aerobics (ârō`biks), [Gr.,=with oxygen], system of endurance exercises that promote cardiovascular fitness by producing and sustaining an elevated heart rate for a prolonged period of time, thereby pumping an increased amount of oxygen-rich , while not strongly supported by either group, was rated at a significantly higher level by younger participants (See Table 4). While not significantly different, practical differences in likelihood to participate existed for individuals caring for older parents, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, and walking/jogging programs. Each program had a noticeable difference in mean rating. Interestingly, walking/jogging was rated higher by older employees, while younger employees rated all other areas of physically oriented o·ri·ent n. 1. Orient The countries of Asia, especially of eastern Asia. 2. a. The luster characteristic of a pearl of high quality. b. A pearl having exceptional luster. 3. wellness higher. Program preference may also be gender-based. Men identified men's health Men's Health Definition Men's health is concerned with identifying, preventing, and treating conditions that are most common or specific to men. issues, back injury prevention, and retirement planning as programs that they would be most likely to participate in. Each of these programs was rated significantly higher by men than women. Women produced mean ratings for several programs that were statistically higher than the mean given by men. Women's health Women's Health Definition Women's health is the effect of gender on disease and health that encompasses a broad range of biological and psychosocial issues. , walking and jogging jogging Aerobic exercise involving running at an easy pace. Jogging (1967) by Bill Bowerman and W.E. Harris boosted jogging's popularity for fitness, weight loss, and stress relief. programs, nutrition education, stretching, aerobics, stress management, spirituality and health, and a self-improvement self-im·prove·ment n. Improvement of one's condition through one's own efforts. self-improvement Noun the improvement of one's position, skills, or education by one's own efforts Noun 1. program series were all rated higher by women than men. Statistically significant results for men and women are shown in Table 5. An interesting observation involves how individuals rated programs based on their self-identification of being healthy or unhealthy. Those who consider themselves unhealthy, or self-reported unhealthy, were more likely to indicate their likelihood to participate in the highest rated programs, (i.e., those receiving the highest ratings by all participants). The programs included retirement programs, stress management, back injury prevention, cancer programs, and exercise and fitness programs. In three of five cases (exercise, cancer, and stress), participants who considered themselves unhealthy rated their likelihood to participate significantly higher than those who considered themselves healthy. Back injury prevention and retirement programs did not reveal a difference between the groups. DISCUSSION This study supported the idea that flexibility is of great importance when working with small manufacturing organizations. Because of the nature of this setting, especially considering the unique make-up Make-up The amount of deficiency when a cash flow or capital item is deficient. For example, an interest make-up relates to the interest amount above a ceiling percentage. of each site, a uniform plan for implementation is unlikely to be successful. Some companies are fully located in one building while others have employees stationed in separate buildings, or even in different communities. It is interesting to note that while variance The discrepancy between what a party to a lawsuit alleges will be proved in pleadings and what the party actually proves at trial. In Zoning law, an official permit to use property in a manner that departs from the way in which other property in the same locality existed in distribution and collection of the survey, overall rates of survey completion were respectable (72%). Like communities and nations, worksites have a culture. Owners, supervisors, and operations people influence the nature of that culture. Public health professionals often speak about the importance of providing services unique to each community. This belief also holds true in the design and implementation of research or worksite health promotion programs: One size does not fit all. There was a noticeable lack of significant differences between employees and supervisors in their program and screening preferences. However, practical differences did exist, with some predictable differences. The physical nature of working at a plant can readily explain employees' desire to implement back injury programs. Also, considering the nature of some of the production materials utilized in manufacturing plants, programmatic and screening preferences revealed a recognition of the real threat of cancer. In some locations, workers were located in dark, lower levels of the facility, or in above ground workstations with few windows. Ventilation ventilation, process of supplying fresh air to an enclosed space and removing from it air contaminated by odors, gases, or smoke. Proper ventilation requires also that there be a movement or circulation of the air within the space and that the temperature and could easily be seen as an issue, particularly for plants using hazardous chemicals. Supervisors, perhaps as a reflection of age and position in life, identified some fairly traditional programs. Cancer, retirement programs, health changes and aging were high in preferences for supervisors. Two of the top three preferences for supervisors (retirement and aging) were also in the top three for employees over 40. Stress and high blood pressure were also rated near the top of the list for supervisors. These programs are often associated with the pressure of maintaining a management position. There are limitations to the generalizability of the study. Sites in this study were self-selected, and may exhibit some bias toward desirability. The study used a convenience sample that was a reflection of the area of the country in which the study was conducted. Finally, there is some agreement that indication of desire does not always translate into participation. Morris, Conrad, Marcantonio, Marks, and Ribisl (1999) reported that a major difference in perception of the value of health promotion for blue collar workers was in the area of supervisor support. Blue-collar workers blue-collar worker n → obrero/a blue-collar worker n → ouvrier/ère col bleu blue-collar worker n → expressed more skepticism skepticism (skĕp`tĭsĭzəm) [Gr.,=to reflect], philosophic position holding that the possibility of knowledge is limited either because of the limitations of the mind or because of the inaccessibility of its object. about the genuine nature of employer commitment to improved employee health and indicated that they received motivation "from coworkers and stronger employer health orientation." If support from management is not perceived to exist, participation, regardless of intention, is likely to be low. Overall the research supports the literature in that people indicating the strongest likelihood to participate are either older employees or women employees. Bagwell and Bush (2001), Zavela (1988), and Lewis (1996) each found in their studies that women were more likely to either indicate intention to participate or participate in health promotion programs at the worksite. Bagwell and Bush (2001) and Golaszewski (1992) also found that when men were more likely to participate in fitness/exercise programs. In this study, men did not show any statistically significant indication that they would be more likely to participate in any of the physical fitness programs, however they did express a greater interest in screening for fitness. Women had a statistically significantly greater likelihood to participate in three of the four fitness programs (aerobics, walking/jogging, and stretching). Women reported a much stronger intention to take advantage of physically-oriented wellness programming in this sample. Glasgow (1997) and Bagwell and Bush (2001) concluded that younger employees are more likely to participate in fitness programs, while older employees were more likely to seek diet, nutrition and comprehensive programming (a comprehensive approach with exercise, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.). The majority of respondents in this sample supports this idea. Employees' ages 40 years and younger averaged higher mean ratings in aerobics, exercise/fitness, stretching programs, and in the screening for physical fitness. Older respondents did indicate a stronger likelihood to participate in walking/jogging programs. Only the aerobics program showed significant differences; the distinctions between programs of interest are not vast. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Across the board, support from small manufacturers for the creation of a worksite health promotion was moderate. No strong interest exists in any subgroup sub·group n. 1. A distinct group within a group; a subdivision of a group. 2. A subordinate group. 3. Mathematics A group that is a subset of a group. tr.v. in particular, or for any particular program offering. Distinctions between groups in the indication of likelihood to participate, were present for some programs within some subgroups, but not universal and not strongly indicated by the analysis. Age, in this case differentiating between those under or over 40, established the most significant distinction in desired programming and self-reported intent to participate. There were relatively few differences that would impact programming for an organization based on employee status (supervisor vs. supervised su·per·vise tr.v. su·per·vised, su·per·vis·ing, su·per·vis·es To have the charge and direction of; superintend. [Middle English *supervisen, from Medieval Latin ). It is unclear at the conclusion of the study whether indication of the likelihood to participate would translate into participation. A future research study might try and answer the question why? We now know that retirement planning was a major issue for this group, but why was that? This project did not investigate motivations or background of manufacturing employees to draw correlation to a particular set of responses. We now know that employees and supervisors in this sample did not significantly differ in their likelihood to participate in 20 different program opportunities. What we do not know is what specific similarities and differences between the two groups may have led to that similarity Similarity is some degree of symmetry in either analogy and resemblance between two or more concepts or objects. The notion of similarity rests either on exact or approximate repetitions of patterns in the compared items. . The same concept applies to all comparisons in the research. A research design implementing multiple program structures for the manufacturing setting, and monitoring success and challenges with each approach may follow. We know that this population is very interested in retirement planning, but under what circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or can and will they participate in the development of a retirement plan? Exercise programs were very popular for specific groups, but space issues in most of these settings would make on-site activity a tremendous challenge. Facility tours were provided by management following survey administration. These tours revealed that the physical nature of these particular facilities allowed little to no "convenient" spaces for exercise programs. Research investigating how to integrate or create access for the blue-collar, manufacturing employee to utilize community resources is necessary. The most logical piece of research to follow-up follow-up, n the process of monitoring the progress of a patient after a period of active treatment. follow-up subsequent. follow-up plan these results would be qualitative in nature. For example, the researcher might want to investigate why those who consider themselves unhealthy would see greater value in this type of program than those who are active. In addition, for those who are active, what activities are they participating in, where, and when? Interviews with supervisors to determine the specific circumstances under which health promotion programs would be beneficial and logistically possible are necessary. A final example would be to interview non-supervising employees to determine the specific sources of their stress. Protocol and adaptations can then be suggested to management for improving the atmosphere within the setting. Questions investigating more non-traditional areas of health may be included in future research. With retirement planning and self-improvement programs making a strong showing (in relation to the other programs), these areas should be explored further. In addition, discussion with employees concerning the level of satisfaction with their jobs could create better comparisons between worksites, making the organization the unit of analysis versus individuals. It is possible that worksites that have already established a history of supporting worker issues might have a workforce prepared to participate at a higher level. For the field of health education and health promotion, it will be important to recognize the differences of this setting from a larger corporate setting. The only way to do this, however, will be to initiate programs in this setting. If we are to determine if the same programmatic approaches historically used in major corporations will be successful in this setting, someone has to initiate the programming. In approaching the manufacturing setting with opportunities for health improvement, health agencies should expect the process to move slower, specifically allowing for shorter periods with employees and maintaining programs over a longer period of time. Additionally, health promotion professionals would be wise to assess and determine the one or two most significant issues at a particular site and focus programming on (those) issues. Production time will always be the priority of the manufacturing plant, and the perception that a health promotion program is interfering or inhibiting in·hib·it tr.v. in·hib·it·ed, in·hib·it·ing, in·hib·its 1. To hold back; restrain. See Synonyms at restrain. 2. To prohibit; forbid. 3. that production will not remain in place over the long term. Understanding the benefits specifically related to the manufacturing setting will be important. Helping supervisors to understand that participation in health promotion often results in less sick days, less time off, less turnover, less absenteeism ab·sen·tee·ism n. 1. Habitual failure to appear, especially for work or other regular duty. 2. The rate of occurrence of habitual absence from work or duty. , and as a result, greater production would be very beneficial as well. CHES AREAS Responsibility I--Assessing Individual and Community Needs for Health Education Competency COMPETENCY, evidence. The legal fitness or ability of a witness to be heard on the trial of a cause. This term is also applied to written or other evidence which may be legally given on such trial, as, depositions, letters, account-books, and the like. 2. A--Obtain health related data about social and cultural environments, growth and development factors, needs, and interests. REFERENCES 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. Bagwell, M. M., & Bush, H. A. (2001). Improving health promotion for blue-collar workers. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 14(4), 65-71. Baun, W. B., Horton, W. L., & Storlie, J. (1992). Guidelines for employee health promotion programs. Champaign Champaign (shămpān`), city (1990 pop. 63,502), Champaign co., E central Ill.; inc. 1860. It adjoins the city of Urbana and is a commercial and industrial center in a fertile farm area. The Univ. , IL: Human Kinetics kinetics: see dynamics. Kinetics (classical mechanics) That part of classical mechanics which deals with the relation between the motions of material bodies and the forces acting upon them. . Chapman, L. (1996). Worksite wellness: Presenting the business case. Seattle, WA: Summex. Chenoweth, D. (1993). Worksite health promotion bringing companies positive economic impact. Occupational Health and Safety, 62(9), 34. D'Arcy, C., Holman, J., Cord, B., Donovan, R., & Jalleh, G. (1998). Association of the health-promoting workplace with trade unionism and other industrial factors. American Journal of Health Promotion, 12(5), 325334. Glasgow, R., Terborg, J., Strycker, L., Boles, S., & Hollis, J. (1997). Take Heart II: Replication In database management, the ability to keep distributed databases synchronized by routinely copying the entire database or subsets of the database to other servers in the network. There are various replication methods. of a worksite health promotion trial. Journal of Behavioral Medicine behavioral medicine n. The application of behavior therapy techniques, such as biofeedback and relaxation training, to the prevention and treatment of medical and psychosomatic disorders and to the treatment of undesirable behaviors, such as overeating. , 20(2), 143-161. Golaszewski, T., & Tze-Ching, Y. (1992). Demographic characteristics of users of worksite health promotion written materials. American Journal of Health Promotion, 6(5), 359-363. Lewis, R., Huebner, W., & Yarborough yar·bor·ough n. Games A bridge or whist hand containing no honor cards. [After Charles Anderson Worsley, Second Earl of Yarborough , III, C. (1996). Characteristics of participants and non-participants in worksite health promotion. American Journal of Health Promotion, 11 (2), 99-106. Morris, W. R., Conrad, K. M., Marcantonio, R.J., Marks, B.A., Ribisl, K. M. (1999). Do blue-collar workers perceive the worksite health climate differently than white-collar workers white-collar workers, broad occupational grouping of workers engaged in nonmanual labor; frequently contrasted with blue-collar (manual) employees. American in origin, the term has close analogues in other industrial countries. ? American Journal of Health Promotion, 13(6), 319-324. Public Health Futures Illinois. (2000). Illinois plan for public health systems change. Chicago: PHFI PHFI Public Health Foundation of India . Tessaro, I., Campbell, M., Benedict, S., Kelsey, K., Heisler-MacKinnon, J., Belton belton a coat color pattern seen in the English setter dog consisting of ticking or roan in any one of several colors. , L., et al. (1992). Developing a worksite health promotion intervention A procedure used in a lawsuit by which the court allows a third person who was not originally a party to the suit to become a party, by joining with either the plaintiff or the defendant. : Health works for women. American Journal of Health Behavior, 22(6), 435-442. United States Census The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution.[1] The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats ("congressional apportionment"), electoral votes, and government program , www.census.gov USDHHS (1990). Healthy People 2000. Washington DC: US Government Printing Office. USDHHS (2000). Healthy People 2010. Washington DC: US Government Printing Office. Zavela, K., Davis, L., Cottrell, R., & Smith, W. (1988). Do only the healthy intend to participate in worksite health promotion? Health Education Quarterly, 15(3), 259-267. Karl L. Larson, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Health Education in the department of Health and Exercise Science at Gustavus Adolphus College Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America founded in Red Wing, Minnesota, in 1862 by Eric Norelius and was originally named Minnesota Elementar Skola. In 1865 on the 1,000th year anniversary of the death of St. . Mark J. Kittleson is a Professor in the Health Education Programs at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC but usually just referred to as SIU) is located in Carbondale, Illinois. The Carbondale campus is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system, which includes SIU's smaller sister institution Southern Illinois . Address all correspondence to Karl L. Larson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Education, 800 W. College, Lund Center 212G, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN 56082; PHONE: 507-933-7591; FAX: 507-933-8412; E-MAIL e-mail: see electronic mail. in full electronic mail Messages and other data exchanged between individuals using computers in a network. : klarson3@gustavus.edu.
Table 1. Mean rating of likelihood to participate, by status.
Status N Mean (a) SD
Employees 180 2.57 .71
Supervisors 48 2.72 .69
(a) 1 = no interest in participation, 4 = great interest to
participate
Table 2. Mean rating of likelihood to participate, by age and sex.
N Mean (a) SD
Sex
Men 138 2.55 .74
Women 89 2.68 (b) .65
Age
40 and under 127 2.52 .67
Over 40 90 2.75 (b) .73
(a) 1 = no interest to participate; 4 = great interest to participate
(b) Significance p<.05
Table 3. Top seven activities employees and supervisors expressed
interest in participating.
Employees (n = 180)
Mean (a) SD
Retirement Planning 3.02 1.15
Stress Management 2.97 1.11
Exercise and Fitness 2.81 1.08
Back Injury Prevention 2.97 1.07
Cancer Prevention 2.83 1.16
Smoking Cessation 2.66 1.34
Home and Family Safety 2.58 1.07
Supervisors (n = 48)
Mean (a) SD
Retirement Planning 3.36 0.79
Stress Management 3.23 0.94
Smoking Cessation 3.10 1.04
Back Injury Prevention 3.06 0.94
Exercise and Fitness 3.02 0.94
Cancer Prevention 2.93 1.04
Men's Health 2.83 1.05
(a) 1 = no interest to participate; 4 = great interest to participate
Table 4. Statistically significant differences in interest in
participating in program activities by age
40 and under
Program (n = 127) Over 40 (n = 89)
Mean (a) SD Mean (a) SD
High Blood Pressure Control 2.30 1.07 2.95 (b) 1.10
Issues in Aging 2.11 1.02 2.60 (b) 1.24
Health Changes and Aging 2.23 0.98 2.61 (b) 1.18
Aerobics 2.26 (b) 1.08 1.95 1.07
Significance p<.05
Table 5. Statistically significant differences in interest in
participating in program activities by sex.
Program Males n=136 Females n=89
Mean SD Mean SD
Men's Health 2.93 (b) 1.04 2.17 1.16
Walking/jogging 2.24 1.14 2.89 (b) 1.04
Women's Health 1.82 1.12 2.96 (b) 1.11
Nutrition/Diet Education 2.28 1.08 2.84 (b) 1.03
Aerobics 1.90 1.00 2.45 (b) 1.14
Stretching 2.22 1.06 2.70 (b) 1.08
Back Injury Prevention 3.13 (b) 1.05 2.75 0.99
Stress Management 2.87 1.15 3.26 (b) 0.93
Spirituality and Health 2.17 1.15 2.52 (b) 1.10
Retirement Planning 3.21 (b) 1.10 2.90 1.06
Self Improvement Series 2.39 1.22 2.72 (b) 1.14
Exercise and Fitness 2.73 1.09 3.02 (b) 0.98
(b) Significance p<.05
Table 6. Mean rating comparison of self reported health to interest
in top five rated programs.
Are you healthy? Yes No
Mean SD Mean SD
Exercise 2.76 1.04 3.16 (b) 1.07
Cancer 2.77 1.10 3.17 (b) 1.14
Stress 2.91 1.09 3.33 (b) 1.01
Retirement 3.17 1.05 2.81 1.19
Back Injury 2.97 1.04 3.02 1.02
(b) Significance p<.05
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