Can community organization strategies be used to implement smoking and dietary changes in a rural manufacturing work site?

Abstract

A one-year intervention project was developed and implemented to demonstrate the utility of using community organization methods to mobilize a rural, predominantly minority work site community toward smoking and dietary change. This intervention for smoking and dietary change was conducted in a rural work site (n = 235 at baseline) and guided by employees. It involved activities to change the work site environment and the behaviors of individuals. A community advisory board (n = 15) made up of members of the work site was established, and it met monthly with members from the research team to design and implement nine cancer prevention activities that were targeted to the needs of this community. Activities and information were disseminated to the employees during a nine-month period. Surveys were administered prior to and following the delivery of the intervention. This project was successful in engaging a rural manufacturing work site community in thinking about cancer prevention strategies. Results of this intervention demonstrated significant increases in numbers of smoking cessation attempts, reported fruit and vegetable consumption, self-efficacy for dietary change and perceived risk for cancer. Work site social norms changed as evidenced by employee perceptions of co-worker support of dietary and smoking change (all ts > 1.95, all Ps < 0.05). Other results with marginal statistical significance (P < .015) but potentially useful for future studies include increased intentions to reduce the fat in the diet. In light of the low-intensity and time-limited nature of this community organization intervention, the observed changes in dietary and smoking behaviors are encouraging and support the use of these strategies in rural, culturally diverse work sites.