Association of Housing Instability with Obesity Status Among Insured Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity affects four in ten US adults. One of the most prevalent health-related social risk factors in the US is housing instability, which is also associated with cardiovascular health outcomes, including obesity. The objective of this research brief is to examine the association between housing instability with obesity status among a representative sample of insured adults across seven integrated health systems. METHODS: Kaiser Permanente National Social Needs Survey used a multistage stratified sampling framework to administer a cross-sectional survey across seven integrated health systems (administered Jan.-Sept. 2020). Survey data were linked with electronic health records (EHR). Housing instability was categorized into levels of risk: (1) "No Risk"; (2) "Moderate Risk"; and (3) "Severe Risk." Based on established BMI thresholds, obesity, and severe obesity served as the primary outcome variables. In 2023, weighted multivariable logistic regression accounted for the complex sampling design and response probability and controlled for covariates. RESULTS: The analytic cohort comprised 6,397 adults. Unadjusted weighted prevalence of obesity and severe obesity was 31.1% and 5.3%, respectively; and 15.5% reported housing instability. Adjusted regression models showed that the odds of severe obesity was nearly double among adults exposed to severe housing instability (Adjusted OR=1.93; 95% CI 1.14-3.26). Other BMI categories were not associated with housing instability. CONCLUSIONS: Among a representative cohort of insured adults, this study suggested increasing levels of housing instability are associated with increasing levels of obesity. Future research should further explore the temporal, longitudinal, and independent association of housing instability with obesity.

Managers' Support for Employee Wellness Programs: An Integrative Review.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this integrative literature review is to synthesize the existing evidence regarding managers' support for employee wellness programs. DATA SOURCE: The search utilized multiple electronic databases and libraries. STUDY INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Inclusion criteria comprised peer-reviewed research published in English, between 1990 and 2016, and examining managers' support in the context of a worksite intervention. The final sample included 21 articles for analysis. DATA EXTRACTION: Two researchers extracted and described results from each of the included articles using a content analysis. DATA SYNTHESIS: Two researchers independently rated the quality of the included articles. Researchers synthesized data into a summary table by study design, sample, data collected, key findings, and quality rating. RESULTS: Factors that may influence managers' support include their organization's management structure, senior leadership support, their expected roles, training on health topics, and their beliefs and attitudes toward wellness programs and employee health. Managers' support may influence the organizational culture, employees' perception of support, and employees' behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: When designing interventions, health promotion practitioners and researchers should consider strategies that target senior, middle, and line managers' support. Interventions need to include explicit measures of managers' support as part of the evaluation plan.