Workplace Health Promotion Programs Targeting Smoking, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity in Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The workplace has been highlighted as a potential setting to deliver health promotion programs to target modifiable health behaviors that contribute to chronic disease. This review evaluated the effectiveness of interventions implemented within the workplace that targeted either smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity, and/or overweight and obesity in men. A review protocol was prospectively registered through PROSPERO (CRD42021293398). Five electronic bibliographic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials conducted in the workplace assessing chronic disease risk factors in men from January 2010 to August 2021. Eleven studies were included, reporting on overweight and obesity n = 8, physical activity n = 7, nutrition n = 4, alcohol n = 3, smoking n = 3, with eight studies assessing multiple outcomes. Results were mixed. Narrative synthesis highlighted studies reporting improvements to snacking frequency, sugar sweetened beverage consumption, and physical activity (METs and Vo2 max). Meta-analysis highlighted pooled mean decrease in body weight of -0.28 kg up to 3 months; -1.38 kg for >3 months, and pooled mean decrease in body mass index 0.06 kg/m2 up to 3 months; -0.27 kg/m2 for >3 months. Despite the encouraging direction of the relationship, results were not statistically significant (p > .05). Findings underscore the potential of workplace health promotion programs targeting certain chronic disease risk factors in men; however, future research should consider long-term study designs to assess the efficacy of workplace health programs as a solution to the growing burden of global disease.

Healthy Eating in the Australian Coal Mining Industry: Assessing the Efficacy of the 'Out of the Box' Workplace Health Promotion Program.

Noncommunicable diseases are the world's leading cause of death. To curb the global rise in these diseases, using the workplace as a front to disseminate health communication messages and resources has been suggested. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a workplace health promotion program, 'Out of the Box', that targeted nutrition outcomes and nutrition guideline knowledge. A 6-month workplace health promotion program was implemented within a coal mine site. Over the 6 months, there were four wellness focus areas, lasting 1 month each, including fruits, vegetables and portion controlling, label reading, alcohol awareness, and hydration promotion. The study utilized a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design, with measurements via self-reported paper-based surveys. At baseline there were 163 responses, and 106 at follow-up. At the 6-month follow-up, respondents had increased odds of recalling the current fruit (OR 1.29, p = 0.032) and vegetable (OR 1.76, p < 0.001) guidelines. Being male was associated with lower vegetable intake (B: -0.28), although this did not reach statistical significance. A nutrition-focused workplace health promotion program can be an efficacious strategy in improving knowledge of fruit and vegetable guidelines. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs over time.

Health and wellness in the Australian coal mining industry: An analysis of pre-post findings from the RESHAPE workplace health promotion program.

OBJECTIVES: Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 71% of deaths in 2021. The chronic and pervasive nature of these diseases spurs the need for novel treatment approaches, including using the workplace as a front for the promotion and dissemination of health messages and activities. Taking this into consideration, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of a workplace health promotion program that targeted nutrition, physical activity, and obesity outcomes in a New South Wales (NSW) coal mine site. DESIGN: A 12-week quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test study. SETTING: A coal mine site in rural NSW, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: At baseline there were n = 389 participants, with similar numbers at follow-up (n = 420) as well as 61 participants from both timepoints (8.2% repeated measures), with 89% of participants being male. INTERVENTION: A multicomponent wellness intervention was implemented incorporating aspects of education, goal setting, and competition. OUTCOMES: Physical activity, nutrition, and weight. RESULTS: The mean BMI at baseline was 30.01 kg/m2, and at follow-up 29.79 kg/m2 (p = 0.39). At follow-up, participants reported 81% lower odds of engaging in the exercise category 'no moderate physical exercise' (OR = 0.09, p < 0.001), as well as 111% higher odds of meeting physical activity and exercise guidelines (OR = 2.11, p = 0.057). There were no changes to diet outcomes and no association between employment characteristics and participating in physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Workplace health promotion programs can be an efficacious strategy in improving physical activity outcomes and marginally improving weight outcomes in those in the mining industry. Further research is needed to determine the true effectiveness of these programs long-term, particularly in an environment as challenging and dynamic as the mining industry.

Workplace wellness programs targeting weight outcomes in men: A scoping review.

Workplaces have been identified as a priority setting for the delivery of wellness programs to address risk factors for overweight and obesity. Men in particular may benefit greatly from these types of programs as they are typically harder to engage in health promotion. A scoping review was performed to provide an overview of interventions that have been implemented within the workplace that target weight outcomes in men. A searched of six electronic databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, and Business Source Ultimate) was conducted from January 2010 to August 2020. Of the 2191 articles identified, 25 were included. The majority took place in North America or Europe (72%). Over half (n = 17, 68%) utilized both a nutrition and physical activity component. Thirteen of the 19 articles (68%) that reported weight as an outcome showed the program to be efficacious in reducing weight. Overall, only seven articles were solely focused on an all-male population. Workplace wellness programs targeting weight outcomes in men have been conducted to some extent, with majority being successful in reducing weight. However, there is a need for more randomized controlled trials (RCTs), long-term follow-up, and male-only programs.

Health and wellness in the Australian coal mining industry: A cross sectional analysis of baseline findings from the RESHAPE workplace wellness program.

Overweight and obesity has reach pandemic levels, with two-thirds (67%) of adult Australians classified as overweight or obese. As two of the most significant behavioral risk factors for obesity are modifiable (diet and exercise), there exists an opportunity for treatment through workplace health promotion initiatives. As one of Australia's largest industries with its own unique workplace factors, the mining industry has previously reported higher than population levels of overweight and obesity. This represented an opportune setting to test the RESHAPE workplace wellness program. RESHAPE is an eight-step framework (based on the WHO 'Health Workplace Framework and Model') which aims to provide a sustained approach to wellness in the workplace. This paper presents baseline findings from a pilot study that aimed to implement RESHAPE at three mine sites in NSW, Australia, and investigates the issue of overweight and obesity in the coal mining industry. Across three mine sites, 949 coal miners were examined cross-sectionally on a range of workplace, wellness, health, diet, and exercise factors using a paper-based survey. This was a predominantly male sample (90.4%) with the majority (59.2%) of participants aged 25-44 years. Self-reported height and weight measures indicated that less than 20 percent (18.9%) of participants were in a healthy BMI range, while there were effectively equal numbers of overweight (40.9%) and obese (39.1%) participants. Only 3.5% of participants met the daily recommendation for vegetables (5 serves) and shift-workers had greater association with elevated BMI compared to non-shift workers (B = 1.21, 95% CI: 0.23, 2.20, p = 0.016). Poor nutrition is likely to be a key component in elevated levels of overweight and obesity within this industry, with workplace factors compounding challenges workers face in implementing health behavior change. Future studies would benefit from assessing diet and physical activity knowledge in relation to recommendations and serving sizes.

Dietary antioxidant restriction affects the inflammatory response in athletes.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of dietary antioxidant restriction on plasma concentrations of carotenoids and inflammatory markers at rest and in response to exercise in endurance-trained males. Seventeen males performed two exercise trials 2 weeks apart. Participants followed their habitual antioxidant diet (H-AO) before the first exercise test, then a restricted antioxidant diet (R-AO) for 2 weeks before the second exercise test. Blood was collected pre- and post-exercise. Dietary intakes of fibre, ascorbic acid and beta-carotene were lower (P < 0.05) on the R-AO diet, but no other differences were observed. Pre-exercise plasma beta-carotene concentrations were lower (H-AO, 195 (sd 92); R-AO, 123 (sd 54) ng/ml; P < 0.05), and TNF-alpha concentrations were higher (H-AO, 16 (sd 7); R-AO, 613 (sd 325) pg/ml; P < 0.01) on the R-AO diet compared to the H-AO diet. Most plasma carotenoid concentrations decreased with exercise, but this effect was more consistent on the H-AO diet. No differences in plasma IL-6 concentrations were observed pre-exercise, whereas post-exercise plasma IL-6 concentrations (H-AO, 30.3 (sd 16); R-AO, 15.3 (sd 5) pg/ml; P < 0.05) were lower following the R-AO diet. Post-exercise TNF-alpha concentrations were higher on the R-AO diet. Ratings of perceived effort during submaximal exercise were higher (P < 0.05) on the R-AO diet, but there was no difference in the time to exhaustion between diets. In conclusion, lower dietary intakes of carotenoids alter the plasma concentrations of antioxidants and markers of inflammation at rest and in response to exercise.

Antioxidant restriction and oxidative stress in short-duration exhaustive exercise.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of dietary antioxidant restriction on oxidative stress, antioxidant defenses, and exercise performance in athletes. Oxidative stress has been shown to increase during exercise. To alleviate oxidative stress, a high intake of antioxidant rich foods or supplements may be required in trained athletes. METHODS: Plasma oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses were examined in 17 trained athletes who underwent two separate exercise tests. Before the initial exercise test participants followed their habitual (high) antioxidant (H-AO) diets. Then they followed a 2-wk restricted-antioxidant (R-AO) diet before the second exercise test. Blood was taken at rest, after submaximal and high-intensity exhaustive exercise, and after 1 h of recovery. RESULTS: The R-AO diet induced a threefold reduction in antioxidant intake when compared with habitual-antioxidant (H-AO) diets. F(2)-isoprostane concentration (marker of oxidative stress) was significantly higher after submaximal exercise (38%), exhaustion (45%), and 1 h of recovery (31%) when following the R-AO diet compared with the H-AO diet. Rate of perceived exertion was increased on the R-AO diet whilst exercise time to exhaustion was not affected. Total antioxidant capacity and circulating antioxidant concentrations, although not significantly different, tended to be lower when following the R-AO diet. CONCLUSION: Athletes regularly participating in up to 40 min of acute high-intensity exercise may require higher intakes of exogenous antioxidants to defend against increased oxidative stress during exercise, which can be met through an adequate intake of high-antioxidant foods. Thus, there seems no valid reason to recommend antioxidant supplements to athletes participating in acute high-intensity exercise events up to 40 min in duration, except in those known to be consuming a low-antioxidant diet for prolonged periods.

Antioxidant-restricted diet reduces plasma nonesterified fatty acids in trained athletes.

Nonesterified FA (NEFA) are a major fuel source for humans at rest and during moderate exercise. The effect of dietary antioxidant restriction on plasma NEFA levels and exercise performance in trained athletes was examined. Seventeen athletes followed a 2-wk restricted-antioxidant (R-AO) diet, which resulted in a threefold reduction in antioxidant intake (ascorbic acid, 139 to 49 mg; beta-carotene, 5093 to 1142 microg) and a significant (P = 0.001) reduction in the plasma NEFA. The amount and types of fat consumed were not different between the R-AO and habitual diets. Exercise time to exhaustion was not affected by the R-AO diet, but rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was significantly (P = 0.03) elevated. The increase in RPE may have occurred as a result of the R-AO diet and subsequent reduction in plasma NEFA; however, further research is required to confirm this conclusion.

Oxidative stress and antioxidants in athletes undertaking regular exercise training.

Exercise has been shown to increase the production of reactive oxygen species to a point that can exceed antioxidant defenses to cause oxidative stress. Dietary intake of antioxidants, physical activity levels, various antioxidants and oxidative stress markers were examined in 20 exercise-trained "athletes" and 20 age- and sex-matched sedentary "controls." Plasma F2-isoprostanes, antioxidant enzyme activities, and uric acid levels were similar in athletes and sedentary controls. Plasma alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene were higher in athletes compared with sedentary controls. Total antioxidant capacity tended to be lower in athletes, with a significant difference between male athletes and male controls. Dietary intakes of antioxidants were also similar between groups and well above recommended dietary intakes for Australians. These findings suggest that athletes who consume a diet rich in antioxidants have elevated plasma alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene that were likely to be brought about by adaptive processes resulting from regular exercise.