Dataset Information

The Impact of Worksite Wellness Programs by Size of Business: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study of Participation, Health Benefits, Absenteeism, and Presenteeism.

ABSTRACT: Objective:Worksite wellness programs (WWP) may positively impact employee health, medical expenditures, absenteeism, and presenteeism. However, there has been little research to assess the benefits of WWP in small businesses. The purpose of this study is to prospectively evaluate changes in health, absenteeism, and presenteeism for employees who participated in a WWP. Methods:We conducted an observational, 3-year cohort study of 5766 employees from 314 businesses of differing sizes. We followed two cohorts of employees, who completed at least two annual health risk assessments (HRA) between May 2010 and December 2014. Changes from baseline to the first and second follow-up periods were assessed for chronic and non-chronic health conditions, absenteeism, and presenteeism. Results:Small business employees were more likely to participate in the WWP than were employees from large businesses. Changes in chronic and non-chronic health conditions varied by size of business, with small business employees showing improvements in stress, overall health, depression, smoking status, vegetable and fruit consumption, and physical activity, and in their perceptions of job health culture. In contrast, large business employees experienced improvements in stress, vegetable consumption, and alcohol use. No changes in absenteeism or presenteeism were observed. Conclusions:Small businesses achieve higher employee participation rates and more health improvements when compared to employees from large employers. Findings suggest that small businesses may gain the most from a WWP.

SUBMITTER: Schwatka NV

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7065409 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Impact of Worksite Wellness Programs by Size of Business: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study of Participation, Health Benefits, Absenteeism, and Presenteeism.

Schwatka Natalie V NV Smith Derek D Weitzenkamp David D Atherly Adam A Dally Miranda J MJ Brockbank Claire V S CVS Tenney Liliana L Goetzel Ron Z RZ Jinnett Kimberly K McMillen James J Newman Lee S LS

Annals of work exposures and health 20180901 suppl_1

<h4>Objective</h4>Worksite wellness programs (WWP) may positively impact employee health, medical expenditures, absenteeism, and presenteeism. However, there has been little research to assess the benefits of WWP in small businesses. The purpose of this study is to prospectively evaluate changes in health, absenteeism, and presenteeism for employees who participated in a WWP.<h4>Methods</h4>We conducted an observational, 3-year cohort study of 5766 employees from 314 businesses of differing size ...[more]

PMID: 30212884

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Project description:Background/Aims: There are few prospective evaluations of the effectiveness of worksite wellness programs in achieving improved lifestyle and health. Our study has two objectives:Methods: For this prospective cohort study, participants were recruited from Kaiser Permanente Georgia (KPG) subscribers who were employed at a mid-sized private employer group. Participants completed a biometric assessment and written survey. The biometric measures included height, weight, blood pressure, hip/waist ratio, and total cholesterol. The written survey included measures of: health (SF-12), patient activation (PAM-13), leisure physical activity (BRFSS), food screeners (Block), and work presenteeism (SPS-6) and absenteeism. Over the next 6 months, participants will attend seminars on exercise, weight loss, and healthy cooking and eating. The biometric assessment and survey be repeated in February 2010.Results: Of the 63 eligible KPG subscribers, 60 (41 females and 19 males) consented to participate. Participant ages ranged from 28?77 years. Overall, physical and emotional health, activation, leisure physical activity, dietary intake, and BMI were comparable to results obtained among relatively healthy, low risk working age adults in a 2005 survey of KPG subscribers in large group employers. Total cholesterol was significantly (p<0.05), positively associated with percent fat in diet; and, percent fat in diet was significantly, inversely associated with activation. Participants with 1 or more days absent from work in the most recent 4-week period reported significantly higher total cholesterol and percent fat in diet and significantly lower activation. Participants with high levels of presenteeism were significantly less likely to report leisure physical activity at the recommended level.Conclusions: The initial results indicate that improving levels of activation (improved self-efficacy, motivation to pursue a healthy lifestyle and adhere to recommended care) might improve dietary intake (thereby reducing fat intake and cholesterol levels) and decrease BMI. The final wellness program evaluation will indicate how much change in these measures might occur in a relatively healthy group of working age adults.

Project description:BACKGROUND:In the United States, worksite wellness programs are more often offered by larger employers. The Massachusetts Working on Wellness (WoW) program is an innovative, statewide capacity-building model designed to increase the number of smaller employers (200 or fewer workers) adopting health promotion initiatives. This article describes the WoW program design and approaches to recruitment, implementation, and evaluation. METHODS/DESIGN:WoW provides employer training, technical assistance and seed funding, utilizing a Wellness Program Development framework based on recognized good practices. For-profit employers with 200 employees or fewer are eligible for and encouraged to apply for a Massachusetts Small Business Wellness Tax Credit. During the phase described in this paper, employer organizations applied to the program and committed to designating a champion responsible for program implementation. Interventions were to include policy and environmental supports, as well as those targeting individual behavior change through raising awareness and education. Supports provided to employers included seed grants for qualifying activities (up to $10,000 with matching required), community linkages, data collection and organization-specific feedback tools, an on-line curriculum supplemented with technical assistance, and an expert webinar series. Data collection at multiple time points, from the initial application through program completion, provides information for evaluation of recruitment, planned and completed activities. DISCUSSION:This model is grounded in literature on good practices as well as in local knowledge about Massachusetts employers. It does not directly address the influence of working conditions, which can affect both worker participation and health behaviors. Implementation may be less successful with some organizations, such as those with many workers who are part-time or geographically distributed rather than in a centralized physical location. Program evaluation will assess the extent to which WoW achieves its goals. The data are expected to increase understanding of the needs of smaller employers and industries not traditionally implementing employee wellness programs.

Dataset Information

The Impact of Worksite Wellness Programs by Size of Business: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study of Participation, Health Benefits, Absenteeism, and Presenteeism.

Publications

The Impact of Worksite Wellness Programs by Size of Business: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study of Participation, Health Benefits, Absenteeism, and Presenteeism.

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