Occupational physicians and nurses are in an excellent position to promote respiratory health at the worksite when they are well versed in advances in pulmonary medicine and in the technologies of behavior change. A continuing medical education (CME) course designed to raise the knowledge and attitude level, and impact on preventive practices and worksite environment of these professionals was developed and evaluated. Concepts from social learning theory (SLT) formed the theoretical foundation for the CME intervention and were translated into intervention strategies of goal-setting, reinforcement, and modeling of desired behaviors.

A social learning theory, or SLT-based, CME course was tested in comparison to a control version (mailed, print-materials). A quasi-experimental design was used with pre, post, and six month follow-up measures of knowledge, attitudes, and worksite health practices and environment. Results from the study indicated no significant differences between the two groups at post-test on preventive pulmonary knowledge, and attitudes. At follow-up, no significant differences were found for preventive pulmonary practices or for three worksite environmental measures; workplace exposures, workplace controls and environmental norms. A significant difference was found for one of the four worksite environment measures--smoking policy. There were significant differences between the two groups on the knowledge smoking cessation subtest and the worksite practices subtest--offering smoking cessation activities. Over half of the SLT-based group successfully completed one of their stated action goals.

This study provided a first test of a theory-based approach to changing preventive pulmonary knowledge, attitudes, behavior and policy among occupational health professionals.