Cancer prevention for working class, multiethnic populations through small businesses: the healthy directions study

Objective: We report demographic and social contextual characteristics of multiethnic, blue-collar workers from the baseline survey of a study conducted in 24 small businesses. We discuss ways in which we incorporated these characteristics into the design of the intervention. Methods: We used a randomized controled design, with 12 small businesses assigned to a social contextual intervention and 12 to a minimum intervention control condition. The response rates to the survey were 84% at baseline (n = 1717). Primary outcomes included reduction in red meat consumption and increase in physical activity and daily multivitamin intake. Secondary outcomes targeted reduction in smoking and occupational exposures. Results: The majority of the respondents were male (67.6%). This was an ethnically diverse sample with 24.7% representing racial/ethnic groups other than white and 43.6% of participants or their parents born outside of the US. To meet study recommendations, workers needed improvement in all behaviors measured. Participants reported a smoking rate of 25.8, 86.2% ate fewer than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day 69.5% ate more than three servings of red meat a week, 46.8% engaged in less than 2.5h a week and 72.4% reported that they did not consume a daily multivitamin. Conclusions: Interventions that address the contextual environment in which health behaviors occur, may provide a method that researchers and practitioners can use to reduce health disparities.