Evaluation of a workplace brief intervention for excessive alcohol consumption: The Workscreen project

Background. The workplace provides a useful setting for early identificatio n and intervention with individuals who have unhealthy lifestyles. The obje ctive was to evaluate the effects of a workplace-based lifestyle interventi on (Workscreen) to reduce excessive drinking. Method. There were eight Australia Post networks randomly allocated to expe rimental and control conditions, comprising 67 worksites and 1206 employees . The experimental condition involved a broad spectrum lifestyle campaign, incorporating support from management, employee awareness of health, and br ief interventions for high-risk behaviors, including excessive alcohol use. Focus groups identified relevant cultural factors. Changes in workplace cu lture and employee behavior were assessed 10 months after baseline. Males a nd females were analyzed separately. Results. Over half of APOST employees participated at each screening point. In the experimental condition 61% of employees overall and 58% of those id entified as excessive drinkers in Phase 1 responded to the lifestyle campai gn by attending health assessments. Analyses focusing on the organization a s a whole did not reveal significant reductions in excessive alcohol consum ption among men or women. However, a significant reduction in number of dri nks was observed in the experimental condition among women for whom complet ion of baseline and follow-up could be confirmed (P < 0.001). Conclusions. The present study indicates that a workplace-based Lifestyle c ampaign can assist self-selected employees in reducing their alcohol consum ption. There was a moderately high level of participation among those ident ified as drinking excessively, which supports our approach of embedding a l ow-intensity alcohol program within the context of a broader health promoti on campaign, (C) 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.