Effectiveness of a Personalized Health Profile for Blue-Collar Workers

Abstract

This article describes a study on the effectiveness of a Health Profile that was offered to blue-collar workers. The major goal of the Health Profile was to improve workers' awareness of own health behaviors and their intentions to change unhealthy behaviors. The Health Profile consisted of a booklet in A4-format in which tailored information was given on health behaviors. A pretest and posttest design (no control group) was used. The results showed a significant improvement of awareness of own health behaviors. Significant attitudinal changes were also achieved. There were no changes in social support and self-efficacy nor was there a change in the intention to change behaviors. These results suggest that a personalized Health Profile is a promising means to make workers aware of their personal risk behaviors.

Health Conception and Health Promotion in Blue Collar Workers: Program Planning Issues

“…Efforts to increase participation in health promotion programs have included attending to organizational climate and personal health characteristics (Sloan, 1988), increasing health promotion awareness, providing supportive environments (Selleck, 1989), analyzing organizational productivity, evaluating employee well being (Heerwagen, 1995), informing workers of health resources (Cloetta, 1992), and involving workers in program planning (Green, 1988). The health risk appraisal (Adams, 1995;Hyner, 1995) and a personalized health profile (Vasse, 1998) were offered as ways to increase workers' awareness of the link between lifestyle and illness, and to assist in planning appropriate teaching/learning concepts and counseling. Bertera (1990) maintained the need to reach spouses, shift workers, employees at small sites, and to balance what is popular at the moment with methods to reduce risks in workers' later years.…”

Self-Reported Utilization of Preventive Health Services by Retired Employees Age 65 and Older

“…The HRA has been shown to be an effective tool for raising awareness about health behaviors in the short term. 6,7 However, the question arises as to whether the increased awareness resulting from HRA participation leads to increased compliance of preventive health services over a number of years. Among the population age 65 and older, barriers to compliance include a complex mix of medical coverage limitations, lack of awareness, fear of positive screening results, physical access problems and inconsistency in guidelines for preventive services compliance.…”

Self‐Reported Utilization of Preventive Health Services by Retired Employees Age 65 and Older

“…The HRA has been shown to be an effective tool for raising awareness about health behaviors in the short term 6,7 . However, the question arises as to whether the increased awareness resulting from HRA participation leads to increased compliance of preventive health services over a number of years.…”