Assessment of stages of change for exercise within a worksite lifestyle screening program.

Abstract

Worksite health promotion programs have been shown to have a positive impact on absenteeism, productivity, and morale. 1-4 Although the programs vary in complexity, historically most worksite screening programs have offered clients a series of medical tests, a physician consultation, and a report of the results, combined with general lifestyle advice. Clinical health problems are identified in fewer than 5% of cases. 5 About two-thirds of the screenings, however, reveal identifiable lifestyle concerns, such as obesity, poor diet, inactivity, or stress, that represent multiple risk factors for coronary heart disease, yet screening has traditionally ignored this important group and the psychological factors inherent in trying to modify lifestyle behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between an individual’s motivational readiness to adopt exercise, expressed through the stages-of-change model, and coronary heart disease risk factors. The stagesof-change model describes the series of stages individuals move through in adopting new behaviors, from precontemplation (not intending to change) to contemplation (considering change), preparation (considering imminent change), action (actively engaging in the new behavior), and, finally, maintenance (maintaining the new behavior longer than 6 months). The model suggests that individuals at different stages use different processes to consider and adopt new behaviors. Research has demonstrated the model’s applicability to exercise and other health-promoting behaviors. 6