DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Integration of a Nutrition Blog into a Hosptial’s Employee Wellness Program Rebecca L. Scofield, MS with Rosanne Leibhart, MS, RD, CNSC and Lisa DeHaven, MS, RD, LDN Underwood-Memorial Hospital, ARAMARK Dietetic Internship ABSTRACT RESULTS DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS RESEARCH QUESTION Employee wellness programs and internet communications are two emerging trends seen in the fields of health and dietetics. This study investigated the combination of these two ideas by introducing a nutrition blog in an employee wellness program. The purpose of the research was to determine if the blog would increase awareness and participation in the wellness program and influence healthy nutrition-related behaviors among employees. A 5-part blog series was developed and posted biweekly from January through March, 2012. All employees were able to access the public website, and points were assigned to participants for responding to the blog. Blog statistics obtained from the hosting website and a post-survey were used to measure the blog’s impact. Over the course of three months, the blog website was viewed 144 times. Results indicated that 50% of individuals who participated in the blog were new to the wellness program, and 60% of survey respondents who were new to the program stated that the blog was their first activity in the wellness program, representing an increase in participation and awareness, respectively. Additionally, 85.7% of all survey participants stated that the blog increased their overall participation in the wellness program. Influence of the blog on employees’ behaviors was measured, and 90% of participants were extremely or very likely to incorporate the information they learned in making healthy choices. In summary, the introduction of a nutrition blog increased awareness, participation, and healthy behaviors of participants in an employee wellness program. This study demonstrated the ability to incorporate the emerging trends of a blog with a wellness program to improve employees’ health and nutrition knowledge and reduce costs. Increased Awareness: Majority of employees who were new to the wellness program stated the blog was their first activity 75.8% said the blog introduced them to wellness program activities they were previously unaware of Increased Participation: Half of those who responded to the blog did not participate in the 2011 wellness program, indicating the blog recruited new participants 89.7% strongly or somewhat agreed that the blog increased their overall participation in the program Incorporate Healthy Behaviors Majority of participants claimed the blog enhanced their nutrition knowledge 88.5% are extremely or very likely to use information learned to incorporate healthy behaviors in their lives Conclusion The blog provides reliable, easily accessible nutrition information to large audiences With a free blog as part of a wellness program, employers can reduce healthcare expenses with no risk Due to the blog’s success, it will continue at U-MH under direction of the Clinical Nutrition Manager The purpose of this research was to determine if an online nutrition blog at Underwood-Memorial Hospital (U-MH) would increase awareness and participation in the employee wellness program and influence healthy behaviors among participants. METHODS Participants: All U-MH employees have access to the blog Employees receive cash incentives from wellness program if they receive health benefits through U-MH 36 Employees completed Wellness Passport in 2011 8 individual respondents to blog posts, 25 completed post-survey Resources: No monetary cost due to free blog hosting and survey sites and free marketing in the form of a link to blog site created on hospitals’ intranet home page Time and knowledge from dietetic intern, Project Coordinators, Clinical Nutrition Manager, and VP of Human Resources Blog Implementation: 5 biweekly posts from January to March 2012 Developed and hosted on Google Blogger (www.umhnutrition.blogspot.com) Cooperation and integration into existing U-MH Wellness Passport Program Participants awarded Wellness Point (incentive) for responding to 3 blog posts Post-survey developed through Survey Monkey® to determine if research question was answered Outcomes measured using blog website statistics, U-MH Wellness Committee data, and survey tool: Awareness of wellness program Participation in wellness program Participants’ healthy behaviors Post Participant Responses #1 Fiber 5 #2 Antioxidants #3 Essential Fatty Acids 4 #4 Sweeteners #5 Vegetarian Diet 3 Total Responses 21 Unique Respondents 8 CONTACT INFORMATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Obesity-related costs Nutrition Intervention Exceed $110 billion annually1 Diet-related employee wellness interventions influence nutrition knowledge, food intake, and health Medical expenses 30% greater than normal-weight Americans. 2 Reduce absenteeism and increase productivity4 Wellness Programs Can integrate into existing wellness programs Reduce obesity-related costs Involve incentives Incorporate healthy activities Combining a social media approach such as a blog with nutrition education serves to provide an easily accessible, inexpensive wellness program intervention. Remote multimedia interventions as successful as traditional activities3 Contact Rebecca Scofield: rebecca.l.scofield@gmail.com Thanks to: Underwood-Memorial Hospital’s Wellness Committee Rob Manestrino, Vice President of Human Resources Rosanne Leibhart, MS, RD, CNSC, Clinical Nutrition Manager Krystyna Bowen, Project Coordinator Lisa DeHaven, MS, RD, LDN, ARAMARK Dietetic Internship Director REFERENCES 1. Finkelstein EA, Fiebelkorn IC, Wang G. National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: how much and who’s paying? Health Aff. 2003. Suppl Web Exclusives:W3-219-226. 2. Withrow D, Alter DA. The economic burden of obesity worldwide: a systematic review of the direct costs of obesity. Obes Rev. 2011;12(2):131-41. 3. Appel LJ, Clark JM, Yeh HC, Wang NY, Coughlin JW, Daumit G, Miller ER, Dalcin A, Jerome GJ, Geller S, Noronha G, Pozefsky T, Charleston J, Reynolds JB, Durkin N, Rubin RR, Louis TA, Brancati FL. 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