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Review of Measures of Worksite Environmental and Policy Supports for Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

Review of Measures of Worksite Environmental and Policy Supports for Physical Activity and Healthy Eating

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW — Volume 12 — May 7, 2015

J. Aaron Hipp, PhD; Dominic N. Reeds, MD; Margaret A. van Bakergem, MPH; Christine M. Marx, MA; Ross C. Brownson, PhD; Surya C. Pamulapati, MPH; Christine M. Hoehner, PhD

Suggested citation for this article: Hipp JA, Reeds DN, van Bakergem MA, Marx CM, Brownson RC, Pamulapati SC, et al. Review of Measures of Worksite Environmental and Policy Supports for Physical Activity and Healthy Eating. Prev Chronic Dis 2015;12:140410. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd12.140410.

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On this Page

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Acknowledgments
• Author Information
• References
• Tables
• Appendix

Abstract

Introduction
Obesity prevention strategies are needed that target multiple settings, including the worksite. The objective of this study was to assess the state of science concerning available measures of worksite environmental and policy supports for physical activity (PA) and healthy eating (HE).

Methods
We searched multiple databases for instruments used to assess worksite environments and policies. Two commonly cited instruments developed by state public health departments were also included. Studies that were published from 1991 through 2013 in peer-reviewed publications and gray literature that discussed the development or use of these instruments were analyzed. Instrument administration mode and measurement properties were documented. Items were classified by general health topic, 5 domains of general worksite strategy, and 19 subdomains of worksite strategy specific to PA or HE. Characteristics of worksite measures were described including measurement properties, length, and administration mode, as well as frequencies of items by domain and subdomain.

Results
Seventeen instruments met inclusion criteria (9 employee surveys, 5 manager surveys, 1 observational assessment, and 2 studies that used multiple administration modes). Fourteen instruments included reliability testing. More items were related to PA than HE. Most instruments (n = 10) lacked items in the internal social environment domain. The most common PA subdomains were exercise facilities and lockers/showers; the most common HE subdomain was healthy options/vending.

Conclusion
This review highlights gaps in measurement of the worksite social environment. The findings provide a useful resource for researchers and practitioners and should inform future instrument development.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Cancer Institute’s Centers for Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC 2011–2016; no. U54 CA155496) and National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) no. P30DK092950 and the Washington University Center for Diabetes Translation Research (WU-CDTR). This article’s contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the WU-CDTR, NIDDK, or NIH. We acknowledge the support of the Washington University Institute for Public Health for cosponsoring, with the WU-CDTR, the Next Steps in Public Health event that led to the development of this article. We thank Lina Cai and Calista Alaribe for their assistance with the literature review.

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Author Information

Corresponding Author: J. Aaron Hipp, PhD, Brown School, Prevention Research Center, Washington University in St Louis, One Brookings Dr, Campus Box 1196, St Louis, MO 63130. Telephone: 314-935-3868. Email: ahipp@wustl.edu.

Author Affiliations: Dominic N. Reeds, Christine M. Marx, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri; Margaret A. van Bakergem, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; Ross C. Brownson, Christine M. Hoehner, Prevention Research Center, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, Missouri; Surya C. Pamulapati, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, Missouri.

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