Assessment of a nutrition education intervention among construction workers Evaluación de una intervención educativa nutricional en trabajadores de la construcción para prevenir enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles en Chile

Abstract

© 2016, Sociedad Medica de Santiago. All rights reserved.Background: Unhealthy lifestyles and overweight are common among blue collar workers. Aim: To evaluate a nutrition education intervention in construction workers to prevent chronic diseases. Material and Methods: One hundred forty two participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 69) and or a control group (n = 73). The experimental group received nutrition education consisting in individual lifestyle counseling, group workshop, group counseling in healthy lifestyles, and environmental intervention. At baseline and after one year of intervention, clinical evaluations consisting in laboratory determinations, anthropometry and nutritional assessment evaluation were carried out. Results: The experimental group experienced a significant decrease in waist circumference, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and an increase in HDL cholesterol. A significant reduction in total calorie intake, especially at the evening sn