Impact of a nutrition education program on health behaviors in a university workplace wellness program

Background: Obesity is a complex health issue associated with the leading causes of preventable chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. As part of an interprofessional team, nurse practitioners can play an integral role in leading worksite interventions to enhance health behavior change. Although worksite nutrition interventions have existed for many years, effective weight management programs are needed in the workplace. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a novel nutrition education program implemented in the workplace on health behaviors (dietary habits and physical activity), motivators and barriers, emotional eating, confidence, and biometrics (body mass index and lipid levels). Methods: A total of 96 university employees participated in a one-group pre- and postintervention from 2017 to 2019. The intervention included eight weekly face-face education sessions. We assessed dietary habits, physical activity, motivators and barriers of a healthy lifestyle, emotional eating, confidence levels, body mass index, and lipid levels. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance, and Wilcoxon rank test were performed. Results: The consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and physical activity increased significantly. Barriers, body mass index, and triglycerides significantly decreased. There was no significant difference in emotional eating and motivators after the intervention. Implications for practice: Nurse practitioners are positioned to lead an interprofessional team to provide nutrition education to help mitigate risk factors for obesity in various settings, including the workplace.