We evaluated the impact of a comprehensive workplace health promotion program on absences among full-time employees in a large, multi-location, diversified industrial company. A pretest-posttest control group design was used to study 41 intervention sites and 19 control sites with 29,315 and 14,573 hourly employees, respectively. Blue-collar employees at intervention sites experienced an 14.0 percent decline in disability days over two years versus a 5.8 percent decline at control sites. This resulted in a net IntroductionHealth education has significant potential for reducing risk factors. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The effectiveness of workplace health promotion programs in reducing health risks has been demonstrated in the areas of high blood pressure control14-6 and smoking cessation. [17][18][19] The evidence is more tentative in other areas of lifestyle change. [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] Health education in the workplace is growing rapidly, driven by the promise of providing several noneconomic,33,36-38 as well as economic benefits.'838-4 Some authors emphasize the need for cost benefit and cost effectiveness analyses in order to examine the cost-effectiveness of workplace health promotion.18S3740,4l145 Others point out the limitations to the existing literature.38,39,41The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a comprehensive workplace health promotion program on illness absences not related to occupational causes.

This study assesses the relationship between fear of falling and avoidance of nine everyday activities critical to independence among community-dwelling older adults in the United States. Secondary data analysis was performed with National Survey of Self-Care and Aging interview data from 3474 respondents age 65 years or older. Falls were reported by 24 percent of respondents, fear of falling was reported by 22 percent of respondents, and both increased with age. Fear of falling was the most important factor in predicting activity avoidance among older adults; the number of falls experienced increases the impact that fear of falling has on activity avoidance. Other factors were as follows: needing help with activities of daily living and the number of prescriptions taken. Assessments of older individuals should include fear of falling and fall history. Reductions in fear of falling and increases in activity level could provide significant benefits by helping older adults to maintain functioning and the ability to live independently.

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The cost-effectiveness of counseling by telephone and by clinic visit contacts were compared in 40 hypertensive patients each of whom received counseling and reinforcement every three weeks for six months regarding diet, exercise, smoking, and coping with stress. Blood pressure declined significantly in both counseling groups (N: 10 each) but not in a control group (N: 20). The cost per patient under control was $82 for the clinic counseling and $39 for the telephone counseling strategy, suggesting that telephone counseling was a cost-effective technique. (Am J Public Health 1981; 71:626-629.)