Start Healthy and Stay Healthy: A workplace health promotion intervention for new graduate nurses: A mixed‐methods study

Abstract

Aims This study explored the acceptability of a workplace health promotion intervention embedded into a transition to practice (TTP) programme to assist new graduate nurses in establishing healthy dietary and physical activity (PA) behaviours from career commencement. Design A sequential mixed methods design. Methods The Start Healthy and Stay Healthy (SH&SH) intervention, informed by the Behaviour Change Wheel, was conducted in an Australian Local Health District. It included face‐to‐face education sessions, the use of a fitness tracker and twice‐weekly short answer messages. Participants completed three online surveys: at orientation, 6 weeks and 6 months. A sub‐sample participated in semi‐structured interviews to explore their experience of the intervention. Interview data were analysed thematically. Results The intervention was delivered from February to December 2019. A total of 99 nurses completed the baseline survey, 62 at 6 weeks and 69 at 6 months. After 6 months, health knowledge increased as participants correctly identified recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables and PA. Fruit consumption increased at 6 months with little change to vegetable intake. Takeaway consumption decreased, but consumption of some discretionary foods increased. Across the three time points, there was a low engagement in PA during leisure time. The interviews identified three themes: (1) Support of Colleagues and Peers, (2) The Work Environment and (3) Engagement with SH&SH. Conclusion Providing a targeted intervention for new graduate nurses embedded into a TTP programme improved their health knowledge, some dietary behaviours, and participation in PA by some participants. Impact Ensuring a healthy nursing workforce is critical to retaining staff. Implementing a workplace health promotion intervention that targets new graduate nurses can help them adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviours to support them in their future careers.

Application of a Social-Ecological Model to Study the Factors Associated With Sarcopenia

“…Overall, 43 factors were identified and the following factors were repeatedly mentioned across the studies: physical inactivity (n = 9), poor diet (n = 3), dementia (n = 2), obesity (n = 2), heart disease (n = 2), chewing disability (n = 2), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n = 3), renal failure (n = 2), osteoporosis (n = 2), muscle motor impairment (n = 2), hormone imbalance (n = 2), smoking (n = 2), and social capital (n = 2). Here, we differentiated physical activity/exercise at the intrapersonal level from sedentary life as an overall behavioral pattern (for reference to the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030 by the World Health Organization) [ 25 ]. The biological determinants of health, as well as individual pathological traits, were categorized into the factors at the intrapersonal level.…”

“…For example, at a familial interindividual level, if a family member takes care to ensure that protein-containing food is available in daily life and this food intake is shared in a family, it may naturally contribute to the prevention of sarcopenia in all members as an interpersonal-level approach. Workplace health promotion can help individuals in the same workplace to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors [ 25 ]. As sedentary lifestyle does not simply mean exercise, promotion of use of stairs instead of elevators as an organizational approach can help improve the sedentary lifestyle [ 26 ].…”

“…As sedentary lifestyle does not simply mean exercise, promotion of use of stairs instead of elevators as an organizational approach can help improve the sedentary lifestyle [ 26 ]. An exercise program in the local community, as a community-level approach, will enable individuals to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus [ 25 ]. The system of annual health checkups that include community-based screening for diabetes mellitus, a cause of sarcopenia, can lead to the prevention of sarcopenia [ 27 ].…”