Page 79 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2024. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih / Health of Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press

Web-Based Nutrition Campaigns within a Workplace Health Promotion
Program

1
1
Mojca Stubelj , Klemen Širok , Suzana Laporšek , Simona Perčič 3
2
1 University of Primorska Faculty of Health Sciences, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
2 University of Primorska, Faculty of Management, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
3 National Institute of Public Health Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction: The workplace, a significant component of daily life for the working pop-
ulation, represents a pivotal arena for instigating positive changes in employees’ habit-
ual behaviours. The implementation of diverse intervention strategies has consistently
demonstrated efficacy in addressing issues related to overweight and obesity.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was an integral part of an extensive Workplace
Health Promotion Program (WHPP) executed within the small and medium-sized en-
terprises (SMEs) of Western Slovenia. The program featured web-based education-
al campaigns designed to foster constructive lifestyle changes among employees and
spanned the period from 2020 to 2022. Prior to the commencement of the educa-
tional initiative, participants willingly completed a screening questionnaire. The analy-
sis focused on the behavioural patterns of 370 workers, considering job classification
(predominantly sedentary, predominantly standing, or predominantly physical), body
mass index (BMI), gender, age, and selected dietary indicators. Out of the 88 compa-
nies involved in the WHPP, 26 actively participated in our web-based campaigns on
nutrition.
Results: Out of the 370 participants from 26 companies’, 46.5% were women, and
53.5% were men. The predominant age group among employees was 45-70, consti-
tuting the majority. Approximately 57% of participants held sedentary positions. The
distribution of normal-weight female employees stood at 38.4%, while normal-weight
male employees accounted for 16.7%. Notably, unhealthy dietary habits were most
prevalent in fish consumption and least prevalent in the intake of sugary beverages.
On the whole, a higher percentage of women (67.4%) reported predominantly good
dietary habits, defined as having five or more positive dietary practices, compared
to their male counterparts (50%). Employing empirical analysis our findings indicated
that, on average, employees engaged in predominantly sedentary work exhibited the
highest frequency of engagement—measured as the proportion of educational per-
sonal emails read. Furthermore, individuals with commendable dietary habits and fa- prehrana in zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | nutrition and health of working-age and older adults
vourable BMI emerged as the most enthusiastic consumers of the web-based cam-
paigns.
Discussion and Conclusions: Despite an overall modest participant engagement frequen-
cy, our study highlights the distinct appeal of web-based educational campaigns to
workers with sedentary jobs and healthy dietary habits. This insight provides valuable
information regarding the potential effectiveness of tailored workplace health promo-
tion campaigns, contributing to the broader field of public health practice.
Keywords: nutrition; health promotion; workplace; obesity; nutrition campaign

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