Australian Blue-Collar Men’s Health and Well-Being

Plessis, Karin du; Cronin, David; Corney, Tim; Green, Emma

doi:10.1177/1524839912464046

Cited by 36 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…An important finding of this study was the relative importance of work-life balance issues with nearly 50 % of small business respondents ranking work/life balance as a very important issue. Implementing WHP initiatives that encourage work-life balance as well as addressing the broader health and wellbeing agenda in small businesses is warranted [ 2 ]. Highlighting the benefits of health promotion programs that assist in self-management to increase knowledge and coping skills, and make ‘the healthy choices the easy choices’, is also warranted [ 1 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom have variations of universal health care coverage. As such, WHP programs in Australian workplaces, for example, are somewhat limited as companies often fail to see the links between work and health outcomes; with less financial interest in implementing any changes or programs [ 2 , 4 ]. Since the WHO Health Workforce Decade (2006–2015) was implemented, some changes are apparent in Australia with increased government incentives for companies to embrace WHP.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of business size in assessing the uptake of health promoting workplace initiatives in Australia

et al. 2016

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BackgroundWorksite health promotion (WHP) initiatives are increasingly seen as having potential for large-scale health gains. While health insurance premiums are directly linked to workplaces in the USA, other countries with universal health coverage, have less incentive to implement WHP programs. Size of the business is an important consideration with small worksites less likely to implement WHP programs. The aim of this study was to identify key intervention points and to provide policy makers with evidence for targeted interventions.MethodsThe worksites (n = 218) of randomly selected, working participants, aged between 30 and 65 years, in two South Australian cohort studies were surveyed to assess the practices, beliefs, and attitudes regarding WHP. A survey was sent electronically or by mail to management within each business.ResultsSmaller businesses (<20 employees) had less current health promotion activies (mean 1.0) compared to medium size businesses (20–200 employees – mean 2.4) and large businesses (200+ employees – mean 2.9). Management in small businesses were less likely (31.0 %) to believe that health promotion belonged in the workplace (compared to 55.7 % of medium businesses and 73.9 % of large businesses) although half of small businesses did not know or were undecided (compared to 36.4 and 21.6 % of medium and large businesses). In total, 85.0 % of smaller businesses believed the health promotion activities currently employed in the worksite were effective (compared to 89.2 % of medium businesses and 83.1 % of large businesses). Time and funding were the most cited responses to the challenges to implementing health promoting strategies regardless of business size. Small businesses ranked morale and work/life balance the highest among a range of health promotion activities that were important for their workplace while work-related injury was the highest ranked consideration for large businesses.ConclusionThis study found that smaller workplaces had many barriers, beliefs and challenges regarding WHP. Often small businesses find health promotion activities a luxury and not a serious focus of their activities although this study found that once a health promoting strategy was employed, the perceived effectiveness of the activities were high for all business regardless of size. Tailored low-cost programs, tax incentives, re-orientation of work practices and management support are required so that the proportion of small businesses that have WHP initiatives is increased.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of business size in assessing the uptake of health promoting workplace initiatives in Australia

et al. 2016

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“…Future projects should seek to engage participants to a greater extent in the design of a social media health promotion intervention. This would have the effect of fostering a more integrated Web-based network beyond simply “joining a Facebook group,” a key aspect of engaging “hard-to-reach” groups in social media health promotion interventions [ 59 , 60 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some mentioned the page in toolbox talks with drivers. Other studies using social media to engage “hard-to-reach” groups in health promotion interventions have used more rigorous advertising, which is integrated with other interventions, including posters, personal health messages, and public announcements [ 59 ]. This delivers a more cohesive intervention strategy and provides opportunities to “piggyback” the advertisement of less-popular interventions on more-popular ones with higher levels of engagement.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This delivers a more cohesive intervention strategy and provides opportunities to “piggyback” the advertisement of less-popular interventions on more-popular ones with higher levels of engagement. Other recent studies seeking to engage “hard-to-reach” groups, such as blue-collar workers, using social media health promotion interventions, deliver interventions through a range of different channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Instagram, and other popular apps [ 59 , 61 - 64 ]. This multipronged approach significantly increases the reach of the intervention and provides additional opportunities to tailor strategies to each workplace’s unique context.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using Facebook for Health Promotion in “Hard-to-Reach” Truck Drivers: Qualitative Analysis

Sendall¹,

McCosker²,

Crane³

et al. 2018

J Med Internet Res

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BackgroundWorkers in the road transport industry, and particularly truck drivers, are at increased risk of chronic diseases. Innovative health promotion strategies involving technologies such as social media may engage this “hard-to-reach” group. There is a paucity of evidence for the efficacy of social media technologies for health promotion in the Australian transport industry.ObjectiveThis study analyzed qualitative data from interviews and focus group discussions to evaluate a social media health promotion intervention, the Truckin’ Healthy Facebook webpage, in selected Australian transport industry workplaces.MethodsWe engaged 5 workplace managers and 30 truck drivers from 6 transport industry organizations in developing workplace health promotion strategies, including a social media intervention, within a Participatory Action Research approach. Mixed methods, including a pre- and postintervention manager survey, truck driver survey, key informant semistructured interviews, truck driver focus groups, and focused observation, were used to evaluate the social media intervention. We asked questions about workplace managers’ and truck drivers’ opinions, engagement, and satisfaction with the intervention. This paper focuses on qualitative data.ResultsOf the workplace managers who reported implementing the social media intervention at their workplace, all (3/3, 100%) reported satisfaction with the intervention and expressed a keen interest in learning more about social media and how it may be used for workplace health promotion and other purposes. Truck drivers were poorly engaged with the intervention because (1) many believed they were the “wrong age” and lacked the necessary skills; (2) the cost of smartphone technology was prohibitive; (3) they confined their use of social media to nonwork-related purposes; and (4) many workplaces had “no Facebook” policies.ConclusionsThe use of social media as a health promotion intervention in transport industry workplaces has potential. Workplace interventions using social media can benefit from a Participatory Action Research approach. Involving managers and workers in the design of social media health promotion interventions and developing strategies to support and deliver the interventions helps to facilitate their success. The workers’ profile, including their age and familiarity with social media, and work, workplace, and family context is important to consider in this process. Much more research needs to be undertaken to better understand the effective use of social media to engage “hard-to-reach” groups.

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Workplace Health Promotion

Day¹,

Helson²

2015

The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Occupational Safety and Workplace Health

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Australian Blue-Collar Men’s Health and Well-Being

Cited by 36 publications

References 30 publications

The role of business size in assessing the uptake of health promoting workplace initiatives in Australia

The role of business size in assessing the uptake of health promoting workplace initiatives in Australia

Using Facebook for Health Promotion in “Hard-to-Reach” Truck Drivers: Qualitative Analysis

Workplace Health Promotion

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