RECRUITMENT OF WORK SITES TO A HEALTH PROMOTION RESEARCH TRIAL - IMPLICATIONS FOR GENERALIZABILITY

The characteristics of companies that either accepted or declined part icipation in a 5-year randomized trial of a multirisk factor health pr omotion intervention were compared to investigate potential limitation s on the generalizability of research findings. A representative sampl e of 151 manufacturing work sites in the northeast was recruited to pa rticipate. Sixty-four of the companies were determined to be eligible and 10 others, which refused to have an administrator interviewed, wer e presumed to be eligible. Of this group, 27 companies agreed to parti cipate. Work force demographics, shift structure, and prior history of health promotion offerings were not significantly different in the tw o groups. However, participating companies employed fewer workers and had a more favorable financial outlook than did companies that decline d to participate. Implications of these findings for research on work site health promotion are discussed.