Combined Before-and-After Workplace Intervention to Promote Healthy Lifestyles in Healthcare Workers (STI-VI Study): Short-Term Assessment

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health 2018-09, Vol.15 (9), p.2053
• Main Authors: Scapellato, Maria Luisa, Comiati, Vera, Buja, Alessandra, Buttignol, Giulia, Valentini, Romina, Burati, Valentina, La Serra, Lucia, Maccà, Isabella, Mason, Paola, Scopa, Pasquale, Volpin, Anna, Trevisan, Andrea, Spinella, Paolo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Blood Glucose; Blood Pressure; Body mass; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Chronic illnesses; Diet; Exercise - physiology; Female; Females; Glucose; Health care; Health Personnel - psychology; Health Personnel - statistics & numerical data; Health promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Health Promotion - statistics & numerical data; Health risks; Healthy Lifestyle - physiology; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Intervention; Life Style; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Males; Medical personnel; Middle Aged; Obesity; Occupational health; Occupational stress; Physical activity; Physical workload; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Triglycerides; Triglycerides - blood; Waist Circumference; Workplace
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15092053

Health care workers (HCWs) are prone to a heavy psycho-physical workload. Health promotion programs can help prevent the onset of chronic and work-related diseases. The aim of the STI-VI 'before-and-after' study, with assessments scheduled at 6 and 12 months, was to improve the lifestyle of HCWs with at least one cardiovascular risk factor. A tailored motivational counseling intervention, focusing on dietary habits and physical activity (PA) was administered to 167 HCWs (53 males; 114 females). BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, and cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood glucose levels were measured before and after the intervention. The 6-month results (total sample and by gender) showed a marked effect on lifestyle: PA improved (+121.2 MET, = 0.01), and diets became more similar to the Mediterranean model (+0.8, < 0.001). BMI dropped (-0.2, < 0.03), and waist circumference improved even more (-2.5 cm; < 0.001). Other variables improved significantly: total and LDL cholesterol (-12.8 and -9.4 mg/dL, < 0.001); systolic and diastolic blood pressure (-4.4 and -2.5 mmHg, < 0.001); blood glucose (-1.5 mg/dL, = 0.05); and triglycerides (significant only in women), (-8.7 mg/dL, = 0.008); but HDL cholesterol levels dropped too. If consolidated at 12 months, these results indicate that our intervention can help HCWs maintain a healthy lifestyle and work ability.