DEVELOPING A WORKSITE HEALTH PROMOTION INTERVENTION - HEALTH WORKS FOR WOMEN

Objective: To understand concerns, barriers, and facilitators for chan ge in women in blue-collar worksites. Methods: Focus groups were condu cted with 121 women in four small-to medium-sized workplaces in rural North Carolina. Results: Concerns centered on wellness (exercise, heal thy eating, weight loss, smoking cessation). Women saw the importance of changing unhealthy health behaviors but lacked the skills and infor mation to make changes. Major barriers to change were no time and no w illpower. Social support in the workplace was considered a potential f acilitator for change. Conclusion: Findings helped design a worksite h ealth-promotion intervention using tailored health messages and natura l (lay) helpers.