A six-week nutrition education program was designed for adult African Americans and pilot-tested in one church in Farmville, Virginia. The content of this program was determined from health topics selected by the participants and based on Healthy People 2000 objectives. The topics selected were the following: 1. Hypertension Prevention and Control 2. Stress Management 3. Heart Healthy Eating and 4. Nutrition and Cancer Prevention. The Food Guide Pyramid also was incorporated into the program. Effectiveness for improving health knowledge was determined using pre-tests and a post-test, while improvements in short-term behavior pertaining to dietary intake were described by the participants themselves. Anthropometric measurements, three day diet records and a health risk appraisal were obtained from participants. In addition, the program itself and the data collected were evaluated based on several Healthy People 2000 objectives. Attendance at each session ranged from seven to twelve participants. A paired t-test indicated that no significant improvement took place in health knowledge based on the pre-test and post-test scores. However, comprehension of the Food Guide Pyramid was judged to be very good and behavioral improvement was suggested by the participants with regard to lowering their intake of sodium and fat and increasing their intake of fruit. Dietary intake from three day food records was analyzed based on the number of servings consumed from each food group in the Food Guide Pyramid This analysis indicated that only one person was meeting the minimum recommendations made by the Food Guide Pyramid. Data from eleven pre-intervention diet records indicated that over half of the group was not meeting 70 percent of the RDA for pantothenic acid, copper, and zinc. However, all eleven diet records indicated that at least 70 percent of the RDA was being met for Vitamin C, iron and magnesium. Anthropometric measurements indicated that five participants were within their desirable weight range, while five were slightly overweight and five were classified as obese according to their desirable weight ranges. Seven participants had systolic blood pressure values greater than 140 mm Hg, two of whom also had diastolic values greater than 90 mm Hg. / Master of Science

This study was conducted to describe the status and perceived need of wellness and employee assistance programs in the public school systems in Virginia. There were 132 superintendents asked to respond to a mailed survey; 124 responded, for a return rate of 93.93%. The school systems having these programs were grouped by wealth, according to the composite index of the school system, and size, according to the number of teaching positions in the school system. The results of the analysis indicated that there are a variety of wellness programs throughout the state. Wellness and employee assistance programs occur in large and small school systems with teaching staffs ranging from 43 to 8,124. The composite index of school systems having one of these programs ranged from .2016 to 1.000. There was a significant perceived need of these programs as indicated by the positive responses to an open-ended question. Of the 124 school systems responding, 47, or 37.90%, had wellness programs, and 38, or 30.64%, had employee assistance programs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Objective 20.15 states that by the year 2000, 75% of the workplaces with 50 employees or more should offer a health promotion program. This study established the baseline necessary to measure the growth of these programs in Virginia and will assist personnel directors by providing information about the types of programs that now exist throughout the state. / Ed. D.

An eight-week weight-loss competition was conducted in an industrial worksite in Big Island, Virginia in the spring of 1993. Educational interventions were based on theories of self-efficacy and social support. Sixteen employees volunteered for the weight loss competition; fifteen completed the program. A single case study design was used to analyze the relationships among self-efficacy, intake of dietary fat, and weight loss as impact variables. Process variables deemed important for the program’s success were also examined for each individual. They included attendance at weekly weigh-ins, completion of daily food intake forms, attendance at weekly educational sessions, and completion of self-efficacy questionnaires. Results showed that women were more likely to participate in the program’s activities than men. Teams that worked together (within the same department) were more successful and more supportive of each other than teams composed of individuals from different departments. Individuals who participated in the educational sessions and competed in the assignments were more successful in losing weight. Due to the small number of participants, no significant effect was found between self-efficacy scores and weight loss. / Master of Science

A municipal government’s worksite exercise program was evaluated to determine its effect upon health care costs and employee absenteeism. Thirty-two employees who had participated for four and one-half years were compared to 32 nonparticipating employees. Results of this evaluation indicated that participants were significantly more often female, younger, higher paid, and in higher job classifications. No significant differences in smoking status and marital status were observed between groups. Results also revealed that participants did not use significantly fewer sick hours or health care dollars as compared to nonparticipants. However, after an initial increase in both variables the year after the program began, reductions were seen for participants in the following years. An evaluation of data prior to installation of the program showed that those joining the exercise program were not already using significantly fewer health care dollars or sick days than nonparticipants. Focus groups conducted with nonparticipants disclosed that most employees know exercise is beneficial; however, nonparticipation was largely due to a lack of time to exercise. Findings of this research suggest that health care costs and absenteeism can be reduced over time by implementing worksite exercise programs. Worksite exercise programs need to be marketed toward older, male, lower paid workers in lower job classifications since these groups tend to not join as readily as workers who are younger, female, and higher paid. / Master of Science

A back injury prevention program was developed, implemented and evaluated for employees at Corning Corporation. Subjects included 38 manufacturing employees; 21 in the intervention group and 17 in the control group. The subjects included slightly more males (62%) than females (37%), significantly more whites (87%) than African Americans or other minorities (13%), and an average age of 30-39 years. The intervention involved frequent stretching exercises done throughout the 12 hour workday. A two-way ANOVA was used to access self-reported back discomfort reported by a questionnaire during pre- and post- intervention periods. Although no significant interactions between groups across time occurred, there was a decline in discomfort for both groups. A correlational analyses was used to study the relationship between participation in the stretching exercises and discomfort. The correlation coefficient for the frequency of discomfort variable reached significance and the region of discomfort approached statistical significance. Statistical significance was not evident for intensity, duration and level of discomfort variables. Except for the relationship between increased participation in the intervention program and a increased reduction in frequency of discomfort, statistical evidence is absent regarding the benefit of the intervention. However, other positive results support the possibility of program continuation. / Master of Science