Puerto Rican participation in work place health promotion programs in American organizations: The impact of three values

The focus of this dissertation was to determine whether the values of Familism , Religion , and Personalization of Interpersonal Relations of Puerto Ricans were related to individuals\u27 participation in their work place health promotion programs. The study was conducted in six private corporations located in the Western New England area which had work place health promotion programs on-site. The sample population of the study consisted of 84 Puerto Ricans working at these organizations. This exploratory study did not deal with hypothesis testing. It set the basis for the formulation of hypothesis to be tested in future research endeavors. The instrument used in this study consisted of a (Likert-Type Scale) questionnaire, in English and Spanish versions, that combined demographic information and the three value clusters of familism, religion and interpersonal relations that were researched. The collected data were submitted to analysis using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results indicated that this Puerto Rican population was very young, with 98% falling between 18-to-45-years old. There were 40 females and 43 males, one case missing. The levels of education were low, with 66% having high school or less education; and 66% worked in manufacturing. Overall, there were no gender-based differences in the responses to the questions about values. All participants agreed that their health promotion program did not include activities for the family, and all thought it should do so. In addition, participants agreed that activities were not culturally sensitive, and all thought they should be, including the availability of written materials in Spanish. Responses to questions about religion and interpersonal relations, also showed a disapproval of the health promotion program, since it failed to pay attention to these values in the planning of activities; therefore, negatively influencing the participation of the subjects in the programs. This study was significant because it looked at cultural values as one of the underlying reasons for the lack of participation of Puerto Ricans in health promotion programs. Health promotion programs designers must be culturally sensitive when designing activities for Puerto Ricans, as well as for other special populations. Recommendations for health promotion program planners are offered as first-step solutions to the low participation problem