Behavior Change at the Worksite: Does Social Support Make a Difference?

Abstract

Purpose. This study examines whether social support for behavior change at work is associated with changes in employee heart disease risk factors. Design. A prospective correlational design was used with data sets collected 12 months apart. Setting. Twenty-five small to medium worksites in Oregon. Subjects. Participants were 689 men and 421 women volunteers who participated in two health assessments at the worksite on company time. Measures. Demographic characteristics, gender, social support, smoking behavior, dietary fat intake, and total blood cholesterol. Results. Employees reporting strong social support at work for not smoking and for limiting dietary fat were less likely to smoke (r = -.11, odds ratio [OR] = .86) and to consume fat in their diets (r = −.10) at baseline. Employees who reported the most change in social support over a 12-month period were most likely to have stopped smoking (r = .15, OR = 1.31). Social support at baseline, however, was unrelated to change in smoking, dietary fat, or total blood cholesterol in a prospective design. Although women reported more social support at work than did men, no differential gender effects of social support were reported on heart disease risk status or change in risk status. Conclusion. Baseline social support at work did not predict future behavior change. The observed association between social support and lifestyle may be better explained as cognitive rationalization than by the impact of social support on behavior.