Dietary and behavior changes following RDN-led corporate wellness counseling: A secondary analysis

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Hicks-Roof, Kristen K.^{a; *} | Franklin, Mallory P.^b | Sealey-Potts, Claudia V.^a | Zeglin, Robert J.^c

Affiliations: [a] Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA | [b] Nutrimedy, Brookline, MA, USA | [c] Department of Public Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Kristen K. Hicks-Roof Ph.D., RDN, LDN, FAND Assistant Professor, University of North Florida, Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, 1 UNF Drive, 3058A, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA. Tel.: +1 904 620 5449; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Worksite wellness programs have the ability to activate health promotion and stimulate behavior change. OBJECTIVE:To measure longitudinal associations between visits with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), as part of worksite wellness programs, on dietary and lifestyle behavior changes. METHODS:The study sample included 1,123 employees with 77 different worksite wellness programs across the United States from March to December 2017. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to evaluate the associations of RDN visits with behavior changes. RESULTS:The mean BMI at baseline was 33.48, indicating over half of all employees are considered obese. Employees who attended more than one visit showed an increase in whole grain consumption and corresponding weight loss (t-ratio = 2.41, p = 0.02). Age played a significant factor in the rise of systolic blood pressure; employees who attended more visits showed an increase in whole grain consumption and corresponding blood pressure (t-ratio = –2.11, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS:RDNs as part of worksite wellness programs, can contribute to improvements in lifestyle behavior changes. These data highlight the need for nutrition intervention at the workplace. Research on nutrition-focused worksite wellness programs is needed to assess the long-term health outcomes related to dietary and lifestyle behavior changes.

Keywords: Worksite safety and health, behavior change, nutrition, health promotion, prevention

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-213432

Journal: Work, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 1019-1025, 2021