Characteristics of participants in a cancer prevention intervention designed for multiethnic workers in small manufacturing worksites.

Purpose: To examine worker characteristics explicated in our social-contextual intervention model that might be associated with participation in a cancer prevention intervention. These characteristics included sociodemographic variables, mediating mechanisms, and modifying conditions.

Methods: Randomized, controlled study in 24 small multiethnic manufacturing worksites. Analyses were conducted on an embedded cohort of 456 employees in the intervention condition, incorporating the clustering of respondents in worksites using generalized linear mixed modeling methods. The intervention was based on an inclusive, comprehensive social-contextual model targeting fruit, vegetable, and red meat consumption, multivitamin use, and physical activity.

Results: Gender (p = .02) and self-efficacy (p < .01) were associated with participation. There were no differences in participation by race/ethnicity or occupational status. We observed no associations between participation of individual workers in intervention activities and health behavior change.

Conclusions: The intervention attracted workers across racial/ethnic and occupational groups. The combination of a comprehensive intervention with wide diffusion of program messages may have been more powerful in influencing participation and behavior change than characteristics of individual employees.