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Workplace Wellness Programs Study
Abstract and Figures
This article investigates the characteristics of workplace wellness programs, their prevalence, their impact on employee health and medical cost, facilitators of their success, and the role of incentives in such programs. The authors employ four data collection and analysis streams: a review of the scientific and trade literature, a national survey of employers, a longitudinal analysis of medical claims and wellness program data from a sample of employers, and five case studies of existing wellness programs in a diverse set of employers to gauge the effectiveness of wellness programs and employees' and employers' experiences.
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... Recently, there has been an increase in chronic diseases in the working population with increasing medical expenses. 1,2 This has an impact on the life quality of employees and their families, as well as harming the sustainability of their company's economic interests. 1 It is important to carry out health promotion and health protection intervention in the workplace, 1 including disease prevention programs, for all of the employees. ...
... 5 Workplace wellness programs consist of several activities: screening actions to monitor health risks (e.g., measurement of body weight, biometric measures), preventive interventions to minimize health risks (e.g., vaccination, smoking cessation, physical activities, weight management counseling, access to fitness facilities, stress management, supportive social and physical environments, wearing personal protective equipment), health promotion to improve a healthy lifestyle (e.g., healthy food options, health education, company policies, workplace bullying), and disease management (e.g., health insurance, on-site medical health centre such as a clinic for workers with or without their families). [2][3][4]6 Emmons et al. evaluated a workplace health education initiative targeting smoking, diet, and physical activity. 7 Workers in the intervention condition developed an improved healthy diet and exercise behaviors; however, these did not affect their levels of smoking. ...
... 15 Not all worksites provide workplace wellness programs aimed specifically at working mothers with special conditions with their triple burdens of taking care of their nuclear family, parents, parents-in-law, and the demands of the worksite. [1][2][3][4]16,17 Not all workplace wellness programs showed positive results on the workers' wellness in the short time as reported from the RAND Employer Survey by one employer that did not succeed significantly in lowering cholesterol levels, 2 and Burke says on Hochart and Lang's research at Blue Cross Blue Shield in weight loss. 6 The success of workplace wellness programs requires consistency and a long period of time to assess their success. ...
Background
This systematic review aimed to uncover the evidence and benefits of employers' commitment to delivering workplace wellness programs for working mothers.
Methods
The articles published in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and AgeLine-Medline databases between 2012 and 2021 were searched to evaluate the workplace wellness programs for working mothers with at least one resultant wellness or wellbeing (e.g., physical health, less stress, mental health, burnout, depression, smoking, bullying, alcohol consumption, overweight), work-life balance outcome, or job satisfaction.
Results
Eight studies that met the criteria were retrieved from databases. They showed some effective workplace wellness programs that can reduce depression, stress, and burnout, improve mental health, healthy behaviors, work-family balance and work-life balance. Working mothers participating in a workplace wellness program generally gain some benefits; one of which is reduced stress typically related to childcare, economic, and personal health issues.
Conclusions
The implementation of workplace wellness programs for working mothers showed positive effects on their health problems and health costs. These eight studies revealed that workplace wellness programs specifically designed for working mothers can lead to time efficiency by holding the programs in or near the workplace and implementing them during the workdays. This greatly suits the conditions of many working mothers whose limited time and energy to balance the household, family and work tasks.
... While access to WWPs is increasing, participation rates remain low (Mattke et al., 2015;Ryde et al., 2013;Srivastava, 2012). Using data from the nationally representative RAND Employer survey, Mattke et al. (2013) found median employee participation rates of 20-40% in large organisations. Robroek, Lindeboom and Burdorf's (2009) review of worksite exercise and nutrition interventions revealed participation rates of 10-64%, with a median of 33%. ...
... Despite the well-documented under-utilisation of costly WWPs, researchers have only recently started to examine whether, and how, participation rates can be increased. Most of these studies focus on incentives (e.g., Huang et al., 2016;Mattke et al., 2013), rely on pre-post / survey designs (e.g., Batorsky, Van Stolk and Liu, 2016;Ghesmaty-Sangachin and Cavuoto, 2018;Szrek et al., 2019) and/or involve US organisations where WPPs are usually linked to the provision of employer health insurance plans (e.g., Jones, Molitor and Reif, 2019). ...
... Our research also suggests that health behavior profiles have meaningful implications for employee performance. Whereas previous research has suggested that participation in wellness programs can sometimes be undesirably low (Mattke et al., 2013;Robroek et al., 2009), perhaps focusing more on individual profile membership instead of just program participation could provide better results. Stated differently, instead of getting someone to just participate in a class on diet, the organization might be better off focusing on employees' holistic approach to health by emphasizing their health locus of control. ...
Employee health and well-being scholars have investigated employee health behaviors such as diet, exercise, and sleep and how they may influence work outcomes. Such research has taken a variable-centered approach to investigate the health behaviors as co-existing variables in a model or as modera-tors of one another. However, a person-centered approach considers the variables collectively for individuals and provides important insight into the role of health behavior profiles. In this paper, we draw on the work-life literature and take a holistic, person-centered approach to investigating employee health behaviors. We conducted two studies, one with a U.S. sample and one with an international sample and analyzed the data using latent profile analysis. In both studies, four health profiles emerged. We further discovered that health locus of control is a predictor of profile membership, and that general health and work performance are outcomes. Overall, our findings contribute to a better, more holistic understanding of health behaviors. ARTICLE HISTORY
... Furthermore, Xiao-ming (2004) disclosed that: (1) professional stress among the teachers concerned would cause emotional exhaustion and depersonalization; and, (2) the less effective teaching, the more severe the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization was. Consistent with prior research, lifestyle management interventions as part of workplace wellness programs can reduce risk factors, such as smoking, and increase healthy behaviors, such as exercise (Mattke, Liu, Caloyeras, Huang, Van Busum, Khodyakov, and Shier, 2013). It was found out that these effects are sustainable over time and clinically meaningful. ...
In the pursuit of quality education, the Department of Education (DepEd) has undertaken numerous initiatives. Teachers are mandated to facilitate learning with twenty-five or more learners inside the classroom but are constantly asked to do other tasks aside from their actual mandates. These have resulted in overlapping activities causing teachers to experience stressful moments in their daily undertakings. The DepEd Bohol Division has already reported cases of teachers experiencing mental health issues. This study aimed to identify procedures to address teachers and school administrators at risk from mental health problems. The study site was in Ubay, Bohol, which is the largest municipality, and was considered the locale of this study. The study utilized the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO PI-R) tool. The assessment tool aimed to assess the different dimensions of personality that might affect mental health among identified respondents. This study showed that most of the respondents have work-related issues that result in mental health issues. Also considered is the level of workload. Positive feedback on the different activities in the pilot implementation of the proposed intervention as planned by the registered guidance counselors was noted. The primary activities undertaken included assessment, analysis of results, and developing a mental health management protocol (MHMP).
... Evidence has shown worksite wellness programs may lead to healthier behaviors for employees (Kolbe-Alexander et al., 2014;Osilla et al., 2012). This work is often accomplished by offering standard program components such as tobacco cessation programming, nutrition and weight loss education and program activities, physical activity (PA) education and program activities, and health coaching services (Mattke et al., 2013;Osilla et al., 2012;Soler et al., 2010). In addition to offering worksite wellness programs, worksites may further promote employee health through organizational supports. ...
While there is evidence that organizational supports may lead to better employee health, research on implementing such organizational supports is lacking. This research sought to understand organizational supports and implementation of those supports using an Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods design approach. Employee survey responses (n = 202) were used to classify organizations into "high" and "low" categories for employee-reported health behavior improvement, agreement, and readiness for implementing change. For the qualitative phase of research (organization-level), semi-structured interviews were conducted with organization leads, and data were analyzed through constant comparative analysis procedure. Analyses sought to identify differences between "high" versus "low" organizations. In addition, the researcher used the "high" and "low" classifications to further review themes that emerged, to determine where there may be differences in organizations classified as "high" versus "low." Study results found the following nine themes to explain how organizations can improve implementing organizational supports: provide a contracted wellness program, formalized programming, and wellness incentives; create a culture of wellness in the organization; provide consistency in the supports offered; provide clear communication to employees; utilize leadership role modeling to show support; focus on leadership support that ensures organizational supports are implemented and sustained; and work to combat employee hesitation of organizational supports. The results of this study show that organizations have the opportunity to improve implementation of their organizational supports by applying the nine themes found.
... Health promotion programs at the workplace have gained interest and have increasingly been implemented in occupational settings [12][13][14]. The workplace is a promising setting to promote healthy behavior among workers, since they spend a lot of time at the workplace, are working at a certain location, and can therefore be more easily reached [13,15,16]. ...
Background
Many workplace health promotion programs (WHPPs) do not reach blue-collar workers. To enhance the fit and reach, a Citizen Science (CS) approach was applied to co-create and implement WHPPs. This study aims to evaluate i) the process of this CS approach and ii) the resulting WHPPs.
Methods
The study was performed in two companies: a construction company and a container terminal company. Data were collected by questionnaires, interviews and logbooks. Using the framework of Nielsen and Randall, process measures were categorized in the intervention, context and mental models. Interviews were transcribed and thematically coded using MaxQDA software.
Results
The involvement in the CS approach and co-creating the WHPPs was positively experienced. Information provision, sustained engagement over time and alignment with the workplace’s culture resulted in barriers in the CS process. As to the resulting WHPPs, involvement and interaction during the intervention sessions were particularly experienced in small groups. The reach was affected by the unfavorable planning off the WHPPs and external events of re-originations and the covid-19 pandemic.
Discussion
Continuous information provision and engagement over time, better alignment with the workplace’s culture and favorable planning are considered to be important factors for facilitating involvement, reach and satisfaction of the workers in a Citizen science approach to design and implement a WHPP. Further studies continuously monitoring the process of WHPPs using the CS approach could be helpful to anticipate on external factors and increase the adaptability.
Conclusions
Workers were satisfied with the involvement in WHPPs. Organizational and social cultural factors were barriers for the CS approach and its reach. Involvement and interaction in WHPPs were particularly experienced in small grouped sessions. Consequently, contextual and personal factors need be considered in the design and implementation of WHPPs with CS approach among blue-collar workers.
Celem artykułu była analiza programów Corporate Wellbeing i Workplace Wellness, implementowanych w przedsiębiorstwach działających na terenie Polski, oraz ich ocena krytyczna w odniesieniu do założeń koncepcyjnych teorii dobrostanu pracowniczego i danych statystycznych, a także określenie ich skuteczności w zarządzaniu ryzykiem personalnym. W artykule skupiono się na charakterystykach programów i rozwiązań Corporate Wellbeing i Workplace Wellness (na podstawie opisu działań zamieszczonych na Forum Odpowiedzialnego Biznesu, w raportach zrównoważonego rozwoju i stronach internetowych wytypowanych firm działających na terenie Polski), jak również na wybranych obszarach ryzyka personalnego (Jak robią to najlepsi?..., 2020).
Unlabelled:
Employee alcohol and other drug use can negatively impact the workplace, resulting in absenteeism, reduced productivity, high turnover, and worksite safety issues. As the workplace can influence employee substance use through environmental and cultural factors, it also presents a key opportunity to deliver interventions, particularly to employees who may not otherwise seek help. This is a systematic review of workplace-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of problematic substance use. Five databases were searched for efficacy, effectiveness and/or cost-effectiveness studies and reviews published since 2010 that measured use of psychoactive substances (i.e., alcohol, cannabis, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, and stimulants) as a primary or secondary outcome, in employees aged over 18. Thirty-nine articles were identified, 28 describing primary research and 11 reviews, most of which focused solely on alcohol use. Heterogeneity between studies with respect to intervention and evaluation design limited the degree to which findings could be synthesized, however, there is some promising evidence for workplace-based universal health promotion interventions, targeted brief interventions, and universal substance use screening. The few studies that examined implementation in the workplace revealed specific barriers including lack of engagement with e-health interventions, heavy use and reluctance to seek help amongst male employees, and confidentiality concerns. Tailoring interventions to each workplace, and ease of implementation and employee engagement emerged as facilitators. Further high-quality research is needed to examine the effectiveness of workplace substance use testing, Employee Assistance Programs, and strategies targeting the use of substances other than alcohol in the workplace.
Systematic review registration:
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=227598, PROSPERO [CRD42021227598].
Introduction
Workplace programs to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the workplace can help prevent the incidence of chronic diseases among employees, provide health benefits, and reduce the risk of financial loss. Nevertheless, these programs are not fully implemented, particularly in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this study was to develop implementation strategies for health promotion activities to prevent NCDs in Japanese SMEs using Implementation Mapping (IM) to present the process in a systematic, transparent, and replicable manner.
Methods
Qualitative methods using interviews and focus group discussions with 15 SMEs and 20 public health nurses were conducted in a previous study. This study applied the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and IM to analyze this dataset to develop implementation strategies suitable for SMEs in Japan.
Results
In task 2 of the IM, we identified performance objectives, determinants, and change objectives for each implementation stage: adoption, implementation, and maintenance; to identify the required actors and actions necessary to enhance implementation effectiveness. Twenty-two performance objectives were identified in each implementation stage. In task 3 of the IM, the planning group matched behavioral change methods (e.g., modeling and setting of graded tasks, framing, self-re-evaluation, and environmental re-evaluation) with determinants to address the performance objectives. We used a consolidated framework for implementation research to select the optimal behavioral change technique for performance objectives and determinants and designed a practical application. The planning team agreed on the inclusion of sixteen strategies from the final strategies list compiled and presented to it for consensus, for the overall implementation plan design.
Discussion
This paper provides the implementation strategies for NCDs prevention for SMEs in Japan following an IM protocol. Although the identified implementation strategies might not be generalizable to all SMEs planning implementation of health promotion activities, because they were tailored to contextual factors identified in a formative research. However, identified performance objectives and implementation strategies can help direct the next steps in launching preventive programs against NCDs in SMEs.
This qualitative study is intended to explore the factors that contribute to the occupational stress suffered by Chinese doctoral supervisors and the kind of measures needed to effectively address the issue. Through purposive and snowballing sampling, 30 Chinese doctoral supervisors in different disciplines of natural science and social science were selected. A semi-structured interview protocol was used, and the data were analyzed based on grounded theory methodology. Chinese doctoral supervisors experienced varied stressors of nuanced nature, which could be categorized into two core categories, i.e., performance-appraisal-related factors and Ph.D. student-related factors, which were further divided into 18 subcategories and 10 higher-level categories. Chinese doctoral supervisors are under various sources of stress, corroborating with and reinforcing previous research findings in respect to occupational stress worldwide. Through the analysis of the stress triggers, suggestions are presented in regard to what mental health professionals and educational policy makers can do to address the issue of concern for doctoral supervisors.
Incentives to participate in wellness programs or reach health-related targets are becoming popular, but might expose employers and insurers to litigation risk because incentives might violate state and federal insurance, anti-discrimination, or privacy laws. This paper reviews relevant state and federal law, as well as case law and secondary literature. Findings suggest that convergence of state and federal law and recent court decisions have clarified the range of permissible incentives so that litigation risk under bona fide wellness programs seems limited.
Insufficient PA has been shown to cluster with other CVD risk factors including insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, overweight, increased serum cholesterol concentrations and elevated blood pressure. This paper describes the development of Working on Wellness (WOW), a worksite intervention program incorporating motivational interviewing by wellness specialists, targeting employees at risk. In addition, we describe the evaluation the effectiveness of the intervention among employees at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
The intervention mapping (IM) protocol was used in the planning and design of WOW. Focus group discussions and interviews with employees and managers identified the importance of addressing risk factors for CVD at the worksite. Based on the employees' preference for individual counselling, and previous evidence of the effectiveness of this approach in the worksite setting, we decided to use motivational interviewing as part of the intervention strategy. Thus, as a cluster-randomised, controlled control trial, employees at increased risk for CVD (N = 928) will be assigned to a control or an intervention group, based on company random allocation. The sessions will include motivational interviewing techniques, comprised of two face-to-face and four telephonic sessions, with the primary aim to increase habitual levels of PA. Measures will take place at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes include changes in nutritional habits, serum cholesterol and glucose concentrations, blood pressure and BMI. In addition, healthcare expenditure and absenteeism will be measured for the economic evaluation. Analysis of variance will be performed to determine whether there were significant changes in physical activity habits in the intervention and control groups at 6 and 12 months.
The formative work on which this intervention is based suggests that the strategy of targeting employees at increased risk for CVD is preferred. Importantly, this study extends the work of a previous, similar study, Health Under Construction, in a different setting. Finally, this study will allow an economic evaluation of the intervention that will be an important outcome for health care funders, who ultimately will be responsible for implementation of such an intervention.
United States Clinical Trails Register NCT 01494207.
To analyze the impact of worksite wellness programs on health and financial outcomes, and the effect of incentives on participation.
Sources were PubMed, CINAHL and EconLit, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane for 2000-2011. We examined articles with comparison groups that assessed health-related behaviors, physiologic markers, healthcare cost, and absenteeism. Data on intervention, outcome, size, industry, research design, and incentive use were extracted.
A total of 33 studies evaluated 63 outcomes. Positive effects were found for threefourths of observational designs compared with half of outcomes in randomized controlled trials. A total of 8 of 13 studies found improvements in physical activity, 6 of 12 in diet, 6 of 12 in body mass index/weight, and 3 of 4 in mental health. A total of 6 of 7 studies on tobacco and 2 of 3 on alcohol use found significant reductions. All 4 studies on absenteeism and 7 of 8 on healthcare costs estimated significant decreases. Only 2 of 23 studies evaluated the impact of incentives and found positive health outcomes and decreased costs.
The studies yielded mixed results regarding impact of wellness programs on healthrelated behaviors, substance use, physiologic markers, and cost, while the evidence for effects on absenteeism and mental health is insufficient. The validity of those findings is reduced by the lack of rigorous evaluation designs. Further, the body of publications is in stark contrast to the widespread use of such programs, and research on the effect of incentives is lacking.
This document contains final regulations, consistent with the Affordable Care Act, regarding nondiscriminatory wellness programs in group health coverage. Specifically, these final regulations increase the maximum permissible reward under a health-contingent wellness program offered in connection with a group health plan (and any related health insurance coverage) from 20 percent to 30 percent of the cost of coverage. The final regulations further increase the maximum permissible reward to 50 percent for wellness programs designed to prevent or reduce tobacco use. These regulations also include other clarifications regarding the reasonable design of health-contingent wellness programs and the reasonable alternatives they must offer in order to avoid prohibited discrimination.
This article describes the current state of workplace wellness programs in the United States, including typical program components; assesses current uptake among U.S. employers; reviews the evidence for program impact; and evaluates the current use and the impact of incentives to promote employee engagement. Wellness programs have become very common, as 92 percent of employers with 200 or more employees reported offering them in 2009. Survey data indicate that the most frequently targeted behaviors are exercise (addressed by 63 percent of employers with programs), smoking (60 percent), and weight loss (53 percent). In spite of widespread availability, the actual participation of employees in such programs remains limited. A 2010 survey suggests that typically less than 20 percent of eligible employees participate in wellness interventions. At this time, it is difficult to definitively assess the impact of workplace wellness on health outcomes and cost. While employer sponsors are mostly satisfied with the results, more than half stated in a recent survey that they did not know their program's return on investment. The peer-reviewed literature, while predominately positive, covers only a tiny percentage of the universe of programs. Evaluating such complex interventions is difficult and poses substantial methodological challenges that can invalidate findings. The use of incentives, such as cash, cash equivalents, and variances in health plan costs, to promote employee engagement, while increasingly popular, remains poorly understood. Future research should focus on finding out which wellness approaches deliver which results under which conditions to give much-needed guidance on best practices.
More than half of all Americans suffer from one or more chronic diseases. Despite dramatic improvements in therapies and treatment, the rates of disease have risen dramatically - and that rising rate is a crucial but frequently ignored contributor to rising medical expenditures.
The human and economic toll of chronic disease on patients' families and society is enormous. Yet while a number of studies have sought to estimate the economic costs of illness, there has not been a significant focus on estimating the costs that could be avoided through efforts to reduce the prevalence and burden of chronic disease. The purpose of this study is to quantify the economic and business costs of chronic disease: the potential impact on employers, the government and the nation's economy. It estimates current and future treatment costs and lost productivity for seven of the most common chronic diseases -- cancer (broken into several types), diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, pulmonary conditions and mental disorders. Each has been linked to behavioral and/or environmental risk factors that broad-based prevention programs could address.
Among the findings:
- More than 109 million Americans report having at least one of the seven diseases, for a total of 162 million cases.
- The total impact of these diseases on the economy is $1.3 trillion annually.
- Of this amount, lost productivity totals $1.1 trillion per year, while another $277 billion is spent annually on treatment.
- On our current path, in 2023 we project a 42 percent increase in cases of the seven chronic diseases.
$4.2 trillion in treatment costs and lost economic output.
- Under a more optimistic scenario, assuming modest improvements in preventing and treating disease, we find that in 2023 we could avoid 40 million cases of chronic disease.
- We could reduce the economic impact of disease by 27 percent, or $1.1 trillion annually; we could increase the nation's GDP by $905 billion linked to productivity gains; we could also decrease treatment costs by $218 billion per year.
- Lower obesity rates alone could produce productivity gains of $254 billion and avoid $60 billion in treatment expenditures per year.
The full report includes a State Chronic Disease Index, as well as tables for each state, looking at disease rates, projections of avoidable costs, and intergenerational impacts.
http://www.milkeninstitute.org/publications/view/321
As a group, western diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, allergies and mental health problems constitute one of the major problems facing humans at the beginning of the 21st century, particularly as they extend into poorer countries. An evolutionary perspective has much to offer standard biomedical understandings of western diseases. At the heart of this approach is the notion that human evolution occurred in circumstances very different from the modern affluent western environment and that, as a consequence, human biology is not adapted to the contemporary western environment. Written with an anthropological perspective and aimed at advanced undergraduates and graduates taking courses in the ecology and evolution of disease, Tessa Pollard applies and extends this evolutionary perspective by analysing trends in rates of western diseases and providing a new synthesis of current understandings of evolutionary processes, and of the biology and epidemiology of disease.
Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the impact of PepsiCo's health and wellness program on medical cost and utilization. The authors analyzed health plan and program data of employees and dependents 19-64 years of age, who had 2 years of baseline data (2002 and 2003) and at least 1 year of data from the intervention period (2004 to 2007), resulting in a sample of 55,030 members. Program effects were measured using a difference-in-difference approach based on a multivariate regression model with an individual-level random effect. In its first year, the program was associated with a relative increase in per member per month (PMPM) cost ($66, P<0.01); a relative reduction in PMPM costs of $76 (P<0.01) and $61 (P<0.01) was seen in the second and third year, respectively. Over all 3 years, the program was associated with reduced PMPM costs of $38 (P<0.01), a decrease of 50 emergency room visits per 1000 member years (P<0.01), and a decrease of 16 hospital admissions per 1000 member years (P<0.01). The disease management component reduced PMPM costs by $154 (P<0.01), case management increased PMPM costs by $2795 (P<0.01), but no significant effects were observed for lifestyle management over the 3 intervention years. The implementation of a comprehensive health and wellness program was associated with a cost increase in the first year, followed by a decrease in the following years. These results highlight the importance of taking a long-term perspective when implementing such programs and evaluating their effectiveness. (Population Health Management 2012;15:xxx-xxx).