The Impact of Worksite Weight-Related Social Norms on Associated Behaviors
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral MedicineDocument Type
PosterPublication Date
2011-09-01Keywords
ObesityWeight Gain
Workplace
Health Behavior
Social Behavior
Social Control, Informal
Behavioral Disciplines and Activities
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Preventive Medicine
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Objective: To assess the association between descriptive social norms for weight and weight-related behaviors and associated behaviors at the worksite. Design and Sample: Baseline data from site-randomized trial of a worksite ecological intervention for weight control; 12 public high schools in central Massachusetts; Sample of 844 employees enrolled (~ 2/3 of all employees). Conclusions: Associations of weight loss and eating social norms with behavior; Unique from social support; No association of physical activity social norms with physical activity; May be little opportunity for and therefore little exposure to physical activity during the workday; Results support the development of weight loss interventions that address social norms for weight loss and eating behaviors at work.Source
Lemon SC, Liu Q, Magner R, Schneider K, Pbert L. The impact of worksite weight-related social norms on associated behaviors. The Obesity Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, September, 2011.
DOI
10.13028/ws2d-pm11Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/44786Rights
Copyright the Author(s)Scopus Count
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
The contribution of school environmental factors to individual and school variation in disordered weight control behaviors in a statewide sample of middle schoolsWe investigated the contribution of school environmental factors to individual and school variation in disordered weight control behaviors (DWCB). Analyses were based on self-report data gathered from 18,567 middle-school students in 2005 and publicly available data on school characteristics. We observed large differences across schools in percent of students engaging in DWCB in the past month, ranging from less than 1% of the student body to 12%. School-neighborhood poverty was associated with higher odds of DWCB in boys. Preventive strategies need to account for wide variability across schools and environmental factors that may contribute to DWCB in early adolescence.
-
Delay discounting and intake of ready-to-eat and away-from-home foods in overweight and obese womenA shift from home-prepared to away-from-home and ready-to-eat foods has occurred in recent decades, which has implications for obesity and health. This study tested whether delay discounting, a facet of impulsivity reflecting sensitivity to immediate reward, is associated with the frequency of consumption and typical amount consumed of home-prepared, away-from-home, and ready-to-eat foods among overweight and obese women. Seventy-eight participants completed a binary choice task assessing discounting of delayed monetary rewards. Nutrient analysis of weighed food records characterized dietary intake over seven consecutive days. Foods were categorized as home-prepared, away-from-home, or ready-to-eat by a registered dietitian from information provided by participants. Delay discounting was not associated with the frequency of consuming home-prepared, away-from-home, and ready-to-eat foods as reflected in the percentages of recorded foods or total energy intake from each category. However, once consuming away-from-home and ready-to-eat foods (but not home-prepared foods), impulsive women consumed more energy than less impulsive women. Exploratory analyses indicated that more impulsive women chose away-from-home foods with a higher energy density (kcal/g). Impulsivity was associated with the quantity of away-from-home and ready-to-eat foods consumed, but not the frequency of their consumption. Home food preparation may be critical to weight control for impulsive individuals.