Worksite Health Promotion for Low-Wage Workers: A Scoping Literature Review

Abstract

Objective To determine: (1) What research has been done on health promotion interventions for low-wage workers and (2) What factors are associated with effective low-wage workers’ health promotion. Data Source This review includes articles from PubMed and PsychINFO published in or before July 2016 Study Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria The search yielded 130 unique articles, 35 met the inclusion criteria: (1) being conducted in the US, (2) including an intervention or empirical data around health promotion among adult low-wage workers, and (3) measuring changes in low-wage worker health. Data Extraction Central features of the selected studies were extracted, including the theoretical foundation, study design, health promotion intervention content and delivery format, intervention targeted outcomes, sample characteristics, and work, occupational, and industry characteristics. Data Analysis Consistent with a scoping review, we used a descriptive, content analysis approach to analyze extracted data. All authors agreed upon emergent themes and two authors independently coded data extracted from each article. Results The results suggest that the research on low-wage workers’ health promotion is limited, but increasing, and that low-wage workers have limited access to and utilization of worksite health promotion programs. Conclusions Workplace health promotion programs could have a positive effect on low-wage workers, but more work is needed to understand how to expand access, what drives participation and which delivery mechanisms are most effective.

Trabalho digno expressando valores universais e respeitando diversidade cultural: Proposições para a intervenção

“…The fourth dimension, labelled "meaningful remuneration for the exercise of citizenship", is related to benefits and earnings perceived as fair and sufficient to be a full citizen in society. Although the way this concept is configured within the broader concept of Decent Work is distinct and new, related contents have been the subject of literature reviews, as is the case of compensation (Nazir, Shah, & Zaman, 2014), health programmes for low-wage workers (Stiehl et al, 2018), salary in higher education (Park, 2012), and pay for performance . The main idea of this dimension is to consider remuneration as a source of freedom for workers and their families through which they can play a full role as citizens.…”

Results of caring and reaching for health (CARE): a cluster-randomized controlled trial assessing a worksite wellness intervention for child care staff

“…Low-wage workers are among the fastest growing segments in the United States workforce [1], and they suffer disproportionately from both health behavioral risks factors and chronic diseases that are the leading causes of premature death and disability [2,3]. While workplace health promotion interventions have achieved some encouraging results on a wide array of behavioral risk factor outcomes such as physical activity, diet, and weight management [4][5][6][7]; there is a critical need to develop effective interventions to address the health of low-wage workers [8].…”

The health status of the early care and education workforce in the USA: a scoping review of the evidence and current practice

“…Worksite wellness programs are growing in popularity as a way to improve employee productivity, retention, and job satisfaction and lower healthcare costs [7]. These programs typically focus on modifiable health behaviors such as smoking, diet, physical activity, and receiving cardiovascular disease screenings.…”