Nutrition education worksite intervention for university staff: application of the health belief model

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of an 8-week worksite nutrition education intervention for university staff using the Health Belief Model (HBM) to promote healthful dietary behaviors that reduce risks for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Design: 2 3 2 repeated measures baseline/posttest ex post facto research design.

Participants: Staff employees were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 28) and control groups (n = 25).

Intervention: The intervention focused on specific health beliefs, nutrition knowledge, and dietary practices to demonstrate treatment effect.

Main outcome measures: Dependent variables were specific health beliefs, nutrition knowledge, and dietary behaviors. Independent variables were demographic characteristics and group assignment.

Analyses: Tests of parametric assumptions, power analyses, analysis of variance, and Kuder-Richardson and Pearson product-moment coefficients were computed and specificity of treatment effects was assessed.

Results: Perceived benefits of healthy nutrition practices and nutrition knowledge related to cardiovascular disease and cancer significantly improved among the treatment participants, P <.001. Treatment group participants also significantly reduced total calories, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intake (each P <.001).

Conclusions: The intervention appears to be related to treatment effects and significantly increased nutrition knowledge and decreased energy, fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol intake to levels consistent with national recommendations.