Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Patricia Schweickert

Abstract

Obesity, a condition of having a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, is a universal epidemic with the greatest prevalence in the United States. The greatest concern with this epidemic health problem is that it presents with many comorbidities and is a risk factor for other chronic diseases. Employee wellness programs (EWP) have been in place for years and incorporate programs on weight management, nutritional education, and smoking cessation to reduce risk factors associated with chronic diseases. These programs utilize the concept of empowerment, often guided by Pender's self-management theory, to encourage employees to take onus for their health by making better lifestyle choices. The research question for this project addressed whether obesity rates as measured by BMI could be diminished through an EWP by implementing health promotion strategies. This EWP project was conducted utilizing a quasi-experimental, 1-group, pretest-posttest design with a convenience sample of 23 employees who had a BMI > 30 and were from a health information management department of a health care organization in southeast Florida. The project evaluated whether a 6-week EWP would decrease the BMI of participants. Data were analyzed using paired sample t test and Statistical Product and Service Software. The results of the paired sample t test indicated there was a significant decrease in BMI from the preintervention to the postintervention. The results demonstrated that health promotion strategies implemented by an advanced practice nurse can affect obesity rates while effecting social change and supporting a culture of health and well-being.

 

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