| Obesity is a chronic disease associated with a host of physical, emotional, and economic consequences. The prevalence of obesity has been on an upward trajectory requiring strategic and comprehensive intervention. Current guidelines recommend weight loss to reduce the risks associated with being overweight and obese. While some people have success with weight management, others continue to struggle and experience subsequent psychological complications. The objective of this doctoral project was to determine if participation in a 10-week, voluntary worksite nutrition and exercise program improves psychological well-being and global health status. The study applied quantitative analysis of archival data collected during the quasi-experimental study Be Fit. A sample of 711 study participant records was examined with a pretest posttest analysis. The two primary outcome measures were the SOS-10 measure of psychological well-being, and the SF-12 measure of global health status. Participants completed survey measures and provided total body weight measurements at baseline, end of program (week-10), and 1-year follow-up. Results showed a significant increase in psychological well-being and global health scores from baseline to end of program across all participants. Weight loss was not associated with changes in psychological well-being scores during the program. However, at 1-year follow-up, participants who lost weight improved psychological well-being while those who did not lose weight, or gained, had a decline in scores. Comparing baseline psychological well-being, scores for program non-completers tended to be lower than scores for program completers. Findings from this study demonstrated that participation in a worksite wellness program improves psychological well-being and global health status during the program, but maintenance strategies are needed for continued progress. |
