Evidence of Workplace Interventions—A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews

Abstract

Work environment factors are highly correlated with employees’ health and well-being. Our aim was to sum up current evidence of health promotion interventions in the workplace, focusing on interventions for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, psychological and behavioral disorders as well as interventions for older employees and economic evaluations. We conducted a comprehensive literature search including systematic reviews published from April 2012 to October 2017 in electronic databases and search engines, websites of relevant organizations and institutions. It consisted of simple and specific terms and word combinations related to workplace health promotion based on the search strategy of a previous review. After full-text screening, 74 references met the eligibility criteria. Using the same search strategy, there was a higher proportion of relevant high-quality studies as compared with the earlier review. The heterogeneity of health promotion interventions regarding intervention components, settings and study populations still limits the comparability of studies. Future studies should also address the societal and insurer perspective, including costs to the worker such as lost income and lost time at work of family members due to caregiving activities. To this end, more high-quality evidence is needed.

Working Conditions in Social Firms and Health Promotion Interventions in Relation to Employees’ Health and Work-Related Outcomes—A Scoping Review

“…Results suggest that serval workplace health promotion interventions have been identified as impacting employees' health in a positive way (e.g., cognitive-behavioral interventions or mindfulness trainings were evaluated to be effective in decreasing depression, anxiety, or burnout and increasing employees' well-being) [16]. However, present interventions were often not adapted to the specific requirements of employees with disabilities [14] or settings like social firms.…”

Working conditions mediate the association between social class and physical function in older age in Sweden: a prospective cohort study

“…passive jobs have been associated with a more passive lifestyle outside of work, such as physical inactivity [33]. Consequently, physical activity during leisure time may help preserve physical function in older age [34]. Moreover, passive jobs may be perceived as stressful.…”

Effect of a Long Exercise Program in the Reduction of Musculoskeletal Discomfort in Office Workers

“…The following inclusion criteria were considered: (1) age between 20 and 65 years old at the time of the study; (2) working during most of the work day in a prolonged sitting position; (3) 7 or 8 h working time in the morning shift per day; and (4) more than one year working in the same position.…”

“…In Europe, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the most expensive work-related diseases for the health care system and companies. Interventions focus on treating the symptoms of these MSDs, which helps to improve the quality of life of workers and may increase their working performance [1][2][3][4][5].…”