Employer and Promoter Perspectives on the Quality of Health Promotion Within the Healthy Workplace Accreditation.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Tung CY
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5491228 | biostudies-other | 2017 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:This study aimed to investigate the association between mental health and comprehensive workplace health promotion (WHP) delivered to an entire state public service workforce (~28,000 employees) over a three-year period. Government departments in a state public service were supported to design and deliver a comprehensive, multi-component health promotion program, Healthy@Work, which targeted modifiable health risks including unhealthy lifestyles and stress. Repeated cross-sectional surveys compared self-reported psychological distress (Kessler-10; K10) at commencement (N = 3406) and after 3 years (N = 3228). WHP availability and participation over time was assessed, and associations between the K10 and exposure to programs estimated. Analyses were repeated for a cohort subgroup (N = 580). Data were weighted for non-response. Participation in any mental health and lifestyle programs approximately doubled after 3 years. Both male and female employees with poorer mental health participated more often over time. Women's psychological distress decreased over time but this change was only partially attributable to participation in WHP, and only to lifestyle interventions. Average psychological distress did not change over time for men. Unexpectedly, program components directly targeting mental health were not associated with distress for either men or women. Cohort results corroborated findings. Healthy@Work was successful in increasing participation across a range of program types, including for men and women with poorer mental health. A small positive association of participation in lifestyle programs with mental health was observed for women but not men. The lack of association of mental health programs may have reflected program quality, its universality of application or other contextual factors.
| S-EPMC4981343 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Worksite-based programs to improve workforce health and well-being (Workplace Health Promotion (WHP)) have been advanced as conduits for improved worker productivity and decreased health care costs. There has been a countervailing health economics contention that return on investment (ROI) does not merit preventive health investment. METHODS/PROCEDURES: Pertinent studies were reviewed and results reconsidered. A simple economic model is presented based on conventional and alternate assumptions used in cost benefit analysis (CBA), such as discounting and negative value. The issues are presented in the format of 3 conceptual dilemmas.In some occupations such as nursing, the utility of patient survival and staff health is undervalued. WHP may miss important components of work related health risk. Altering assumptions on discounting and eliminating the drag of negative value radically change the CBA value.Simple monetization of a work life and calculation of return on workforce health investment as a simple alternate opportunity involve highly selective interpretations of productivity and utility.
| S-EPMC4562175 | biostudies-other
Project description:BACKGROUND:Workplace Health Promotion Programs (WHPP) have been shown to be an efficient way of improving workers' health. These programs can be incorporated in the worker's daily schedule and improve their productivity at work. Improving employees' health also benefits the employers by increasing their return on investment and lowering healthcare costs. The Activate Your Health program, created by Capsana in 2015, is a WHPP targeting multiple lifestyle habits for a three-year period. This WHPP includes tailored web-based interventions and the support of different health professionals throughout the years. We hypothesize that this approach will yield long-term lifestyle changes. The objective of the current paper is to describe the Activate Your Health program's design. METHODS/DESIGN:Eleven companies are taking part in this WHPP and had to choose among five different options of this program and all their employees were encouraged to participate. Each option differs by the number and type of interventions included. The limited option, which is considered the control group, only consists in completing a questionnaire regarding their health status, lifestyle habits and behaviors. On the other end, the extensive option receives a combination of multiple interventions: online menus, health challenges, support in creating a healthy work environment, coaching by health professionals (nurse, nutritionist, and kinesiologist), health screening and flexibility assessment, online resources, social health platform, and activity tracking. The remaining options are in between these options and vary by the amount of intervention. Baseline data are already gathered; two other data collection periods will take place after one and 2 years into the program. The primary outcomes of the current program are physical activity and fitness measures, nutritional data, smoking habits, stress and intention to change. DISCUSSION:The Activate Your Health program will allow us to compare which combinations of interventions are the most effective. It is expected that the extensive option will be the most advantageous to improve lifestyle habits. The results will indicate the strength and weakness of each intervention and how it could be improved. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Clinicaltrails.gov, registration number: NCT02933385 (updated on the 26th of March 2019, initially registered on the 5th of October 2016).
| S-EPMC6701072 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundWorkplace health programs (WHPs) may improve adult health but very little evidence exists on multi-level WHPs implemented at-scale and so the relationship between program implementation factors and outcomes of WHPs are poorly understood. This study evaluated Get Healthy at Work (GHaW), a state-wide government-funded WHP in Australia.MethodsA mixed-method design included a longitudinal quasi-experimental survey of businesses registered with GHaW and a comparison group of businesses surveyed over a 12-month period. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with key contacts and employees of selected intervention group businesses and the service providers of the program were conducted to assess program adoption and adaptation.ResultsPositive business-level changes in workplace culture were observed over time among GHaW businesses compared with the control group. Multilevel regression modelling revealed perceptions that employees were generally healthy (p = 0.045 timeXgroup effect) and that the workplace promoted healthy behaviours (p = 0.004 timeXgroup effect) improved significantly while the control group reported no change in work culture perceptions. Changes in perceptions about work productivity were not observed; however only one third of businesses registered for the program had adopted GHaW during the evaluation period. Qualitative results revealed a number of factors contributing to program adoption: which depended on program delivery (e.g., logistics, technology and communication channels), design features of the program, and organisational factors (primarily business size and previous experience of WHPs).ConclusionsEvaluation of program factors is important to improve program delivery and uptake and to ensure greater scalability. GHaW has the potential to improve workplace health culture, which may lead to better health promoting work environments. These results imply that government can play a central role in enabling prioritisation and incentivising health promotion in the workplace.
| S-EPMC6373144 | biostudies-literature
Project description:On the general labor market, social firms provide 30-50% of people with different types of disabilities the opportunity to gain employment. However, the topic of workplace health promotion (WHP), needs for improvement and accompanied challenges are neglected in the current research and were the focus of the present study. Therefore, data triangulation was used between July and December 2020 by combining three focus groups with employees (n = 14 employees) with 16 interviews with supervisors from several social firms in Northern Germany (e.g., from catering, cleaning or bicycle repair sectors). 17 semi-structured telephone interviews with experts in the field of WHP or social firms were added. All approaches were audio-taped, transcribed and anonymized. To analyze the data, Mayring's qualitative content analysis was used. The results indicated that several offers for WHP, including sport, nutrition and relaxation, were offered, as well as those on smoking cessation, cooperation with external organizations or training and education offers. Needs for improvement were stated referring to additional sport offers, support for implementing a healthy diet, offers for relaxation, financial incentives or collaborations with external organizations. A low take-up of offers; a lack of resources, structures or management support; compatibility of offers with work time and organization; challenges with available trainings or the consideration of individual needs and capacities were highlighted as challenges. Overall, there is a need for further interventional and longitudinal research on WHP in social firms.
| S-EPMC8776072 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Research has shown that workplace health promotion (WHP) efforts can positively affect employees' health risk accumulation. However, earlier literature has provided insights of health risk changes in the short-term. This prospective longitudinal quasi-experimental study investigated trends in health risks of a comprehensive, eight-year WHP program (n = 523-651). Health risk data were collected from health risk assessments in 2010-2011, 2013-2014, and 2016-2017, applying both a questionnaire and biometric screenings. Health risk changes were investigated for three different time-periods, 2010-2013, 2014-2017, and 2010-2017, using descriptive analyses, t-tests, and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank and McNemar's test, where appropriate. Overall health risk transitions were assessed according to low-, moderate-, and high-risk categories. Trend analyses observed 50-60% prevalence for low-, 30-35% for moderate-, and 9-11% high-risk levels across the eight years. In the overall health risk transitions of the three time-periods, 66-73% of participants stayed at the same risk level, 13-15% of participants improved, and 12-21% had deteriorated risk level across the three intervention periods. Our findings appear to indicate that the multiyear WHP program was effective in maintaining low and moderate risk levels, but fell short of reducing the total number of health risks at the population level.
| S-EPMC7765570 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Men in high income countries have poorer dietary habits and higher rates of overweight and obesity than women. A major challenge with engaging men in health promotion is the perception that attention to one's health runs counter to masculine identities. Contemporary health promotion programs are believed to hold little "manly" appeal and often fail to engage and retain men. The HAT TRICK program was designed to engage men with their health by delivering an intervention in collaboration with a semi-professional ice hockey team. The program included 12 weekly sessions promoting healthy eating, active living, and social connectedness among men. Gender-sensitized elements were reflected in the program design, setting, content, and delivery. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 23 men to explore perspectives of their participation in the gender-sensitized intervention. Participants were white (100%) with a mean age of 53 years ( SD ± 9.9), Body Mass Index (BMI) of 37 kg/m2 ( SD ± 6.8), and waist circumference of 127 centimeters ( SD ± 14.5). Inductive thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes, including: (a) Harnessing nostalgia for past masculinities: "Closet athletes from 30 years ago," (2) Offsetting resistance to change with sensible health advice: "Don't give up drinking beer, just have less," and (3) Gendered social spaces for doing health: "A night out with the guys," The findings support the value of gender-sensitized approaches to men's health promotion. Further research is needed to identify which gender-sensitized elements are critical to engaging men in healthy lifestyle changes.
| S-EPMC6199449 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveEvaluation of the effectiveness of a workplace health promotion program on employees' vitality, health, and work-related outcomes, and exploring the influence of organizational support and the supervisors' role on these outcomes.MethodsThe 5-month intervention included activities at management, team, and individual level targeting self-management to perform healthy behaviors: a kick-off session, vitality training sessions, workshops, individual coaching, and intervision. Outcome measures were collected using questionnaires, health checks, and sickness absence data at baseline, after the intervention and at 10 months follow-up. For analysis linear and generalized mixed models were used.ResultsVitality, work performance, sickness absence, and self-management significantly improved. Good organizational support and involved supervisors were significantly associated with lower sickness absence.ConclusionsIncluding all organizational levels and focusing on increasing self-management provided promising results for improving vitality, health, and work-related outcomes.
| S-EPMC4883645 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Morbidity before retirement has a huge cost, burdening both public health and workplace finances. Multiple factors increase morbidity such as stress at work, sedentary behavior or low physical activity, and poor nutrition practices. Nowadays, the digital world offers infinite opportunities to interact with workers. The WittyFit software was designed to understand holistic issues of workers by promoting individualized behavior changes at the workplace. OBJECTIVE:The shorter term feasibility objective is to demonstrate that effective use of WittyFit will increase well-being and improve health-related behaviors. The mid-term objective is to demonstrate that WittyFit improves economic data of the companies such as productivity and benefits. The ultimate objective is to increase life expectancy of workers. METHODS:This is an exploratory interventional cohort study in an ecological situation. Three groups of participants will be purposefully sampled: employees, middle managers, and executive managers. Four levels of engagement are planned for employees: commencing with baseline health profiling from validated questionnaires; individualized feedback based on evidence-based medicine; support for behavioral change; and formal evaluation of changes in knowledge, practices, and health outcomes over time. Middle managers will also receive anonymous feedback on problems encountered by employees, and executive top managers will have indicators by division, location, department, age, seniority, gender and occupational position. Managers will be able to introduce specific initiatives in the workplace. WittyFit is based on two databases: behavioral data (WittyFit) and medical data (WittyFit Research). Statistical analyses will incorporate morbidity and well-being data. When a worker leaves a workplace, the company documents one of three major explanations: retirement, relocation to another company, or premature death. Therefore, WittyFit will have the ability to include mortality as an outcome. WittyFit will evolve with the waves of connected objects further increasing its data accuracy. Ethical approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, France. RESULTS:WittyFit recruitment and enrollment started in January 2016. First publications are expected to be available at the beginning of 2017. CONCLUSIONS:The name WittyFit came from Witty and Fitness. The concept of WittyFit reflects the concept of health from the World Health Organization: being spiritually and physically healthy. WittyFit is a health-monitoring, health-promoting tool that may improve the health of workers and health of companies. WittyFit will evolve with the waves of connected objects further increasing its data accuracy with objective measures. WittyFit may constitute a powerful epidemiological database. Finally, the WittyFit concept may extend healthy living into the general population. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02596737; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02596737 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6pM5toQ7Y).
| S-EPMC5408138 | biostudies-literature
Project description:After having conducted two studies of the effectiveness of workplace travel plans for promoting active travel, we investigated health and transport practitioners' perspectives on implementing workplace travel plans to share some of the lessons learnt. The objectives of this study were to describe perceived elements of effective workplace travel plans, barriers and enablers to workplace travel planning, their experiences of working with the other profession on travel plan implementation, their recommendations for workplace travel planning, and also to explore similarities and differences in transport and health practitioner perspectives.Fourteen health and ten transport practitioners who had prior involvement in workplace travel plan programs were purposefully selected from workplaces in Australia. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews since data saturation had been reached at this point, and data were subject to framework analysis.Perceived essential elements of effective workplace travel plans included parking management; leadership, organisational commitment and governance; skills and other resources like a dedicated travel plan coordinator; and, pre-conditions including supportive transport infrastructure in the surrounds. Recommendations for promoting travel plans included supportive government policy, focusing on business benefits and working at different scales of implementation (e.g. single large worksites and business precincts). Health and transport practitioner perspectives differed, with transport practitioners believing that parking management is the key action for managing travel demand at a worksite.Health practitioners implementing travel plans may require training including concepts of travel demand management, and support from transport planners on parking management strategies. Promoting an understanding of the shared travel behaviour change skills of transport and health practitioners may assist further collaboration. For take-up by organisations to be of sufficient scale to create meaningful population level reductions in driving and increases in active travel, promotion and travel plans should be focused on the priorities of the organisations. Supportive government policy is also required.
| S-EPMC5279755 | biostudies-other