La Generation Sandwich en Suisse Romande: mieux comprendre les facteurs associés avec la santé perçue afin de mieux agir en promotion de la santé [Sandwich Generation in Roman Switzerland : a better understanding of factors linked with perceived health for better acting in health promotion].

The so-called < Sandwich Generation > (SG) is characterized by concurrent and competing professional, familial, and informal caregiving workloads. These stressors pose potential health risks. However, the current knowledge about SG characteristics and perceived state of health are insufficient to allow occupational health nurses to develop evidence-based interventions designed for health promotion. We aimed to describe this population and examine the relationships between these coexisting workloads and their perceived health. This study is based on a descriptive, correlational design. Employees of a Swiss public administration completed an electronic questionnaire. Of 844 respondents, 23 % are SG members. Ages of frailed parents or parents-in-law, co-residence with the latters, children still living at home predict that employees could be members of the SG. Perceived physical health status of SG members is rated better than mental health status. The heterogeneity of SG is reflected in three clusters. Finally, physical health score is the only that differs from the other health scores adjusting for clusters and sex. This study provides a foundation for developing preventive interventions targeting the SG.

Evaluation of a multicomponent worksite health promotion program for cardiovascular risk factors-correcting for the regression towards the mean effect.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the impact of a multicomponent worksite health promotion program for0 reducing cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) with short intervention, adjusting for regression towards the mean (RTM) affecting such nonexperimental study without control group. METHODS: A cohort of 4,198 workers (aged 42 +/- 10 years, range 16-76 years, 27% women) were analyzed at 3.7-year interval and stratified by each CVRF risk category (low/medium/high blood pressure [BP], total cholesterol [TC], body mass index [BMI], and smoking) with RTM and secular trend adjustments. Intervention consisted of 15 min CVRF screening and individualized counseling by health professionals to medium- and high-risk individuals, with eventual physician referral. RESULTS: High-risk groups participants improved diastolic BP (-3.4 mm Hg [95%CI: -5.1, -1.7]) in 190 hypertensive patients, TC (-0.58 mmol/l [-0.71, -0.44]) in 693 hypercholesterolemic patients, and smoking (-3.1 cig/day [-3.9, -2.3]) in 808 smokers, while systolic BP changes reflected RTM. Low-risk individuals without counseling deteriorated TC and BMI. Body weight increased uniformly in all risk groups (+0.35 kg/year). CONCLUSIONS: In real-world conditions, short intervention program participants in high-risk groups for diastolic BP, TC, and smoking improved their CVRF, whereas low-risk TC and BMI groups deteriorated. Future programs may include specific advises to low-risk groups to maintain a favorable CVRF profile.

Expectation to improve cardiovascular risk factors control in participants to a health promotion program.

BACKGROUND: We assessed expectations to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVD-RF) in participants to a health promotion program. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Blood pressure (BP), blood glucose (BG), blood total cholesterol (TC), body mass index (BMI), and self-reported smoking were assessed in 1,598 volunteers from the general public (men: 40%; mean age: 56.7 +/- 12.7 years) participating in a mobile health promotion program in the Vaud canton, Switzerland. Participants were asked about their expectation to have their CVD-RF improved at a next visit scheduled 2-3 years later. RESULTS: Expectation for improved control was found in 90% of participants with elevated BP, 91% with elevated BG, 45% with elevated TC, 44% who were overweight, and 35% who were smoking. Expectation for TC improvement was reported more often by men, persons with high level of TC, and persons who had consulted a doctor in the past 12 months. Expectations to lose weight and to quit smoking were found more often in younger persons than the older ones. CONCLUSION: Volunteers from the general population participating in a health promotion program expected improved control more often for hypertension and dysglycemia than for dyslipidemia, overweight and smoking.