Health behavior change among office workers: A test of intervention theory

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a multicomponent intervention on health behavior change intended to prevent and mitigate work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). All 124 workers employed in an administrative office were exposed to the intervention including posters, e-mail messages, workshops, and the Twelve Golden Tips for Office Workers, between 1994 and 1995. Forty participants completed a comprehensive survey at three different points of time. A pretest and posttest design was used to analyze the data. The results of the data analysis revealed that more than 60% of the participants made behavior changes such as taking frequent posture breaks, stretches, and engaging in physical exercise.; A path analysis testing the overall theory that a multicomponent intervention leads to positive health behavior suggests that this process is interactive. The factors most strongly related to behavior change are the belief that one can succeed in health goals (self-efficacy), perceived health status, and intention to change. Self-efficacy linked with intention appears to be the most significant factor influencing health behavior change.; Overall, findings suggest that the use of a multicomponent intervention in this context can lead to changes in healthy behaviors reducing the risk of office work-related MSD.