Effects of a Tailored Health Promotion Program to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Middle-Aged and Advanced-Age Bus Drivers

Abstract

A tailored health promotion program was developed and applied to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors among middle-aged and advanced-age bus drivers. The participants were 248 bus drivers from 2 transportation companies, in whom the authors surveyed health behaviors (physical activity, diet, smoking habit, and alcohol consumption), health status (body mass index, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein), and job stress. The tailored health promotion program consisted of exercise, diet, temperance, and smoking cessation education; the program was developed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors and was administered for 6 months. After the program, health behaviors, such as physical activity, dietary habits, smoking habits, and alcohol consumption, and health status indicators, such as blood pressure, had significantly improved ( P < .05). The authors did not find an association between job stress and health behavior and status. This suggests that a tailored health promotion program for middle-aged and advanced-age bus drivers was effective.