Is It Time to Re-Shift the Research Agenda? A Scoping Review of Participation Rates in Workplace Health Promotion Programs

Abstract

Workplace health promotion programmes (WHPPs) are among the most important measures to improve the health and motivation of the ageing workforce. However, they are accompanied with certain challenges, such as low participation rates and higher participation levels of the more health-conscious workers, often failing to engage those who need such interventions the most. Following the PRISMA guidelines, this scoping review examined participation rates reported in articles on WHPPs to identify potential knowledge gaps. The results are worrying: participation rates are not only infrequently reported, but also low. Of the 58 articles, 37 report participation rates, with the majority (20) reporting an average participation rate of less than 50%. Reported participation rates refer either to different target groups, the type of intervention, or to single points in time, which makes it difficult to establish consistent criteria for comparison. We argue that despite the importance of WHPP efficacy, research focus should shift to the determinants of participation, as well as the issue of standardising the reporting of participation rates, alongside the potential problem of reporting bias.

A Workplace Health Promotion Program for a Predominantly Military Population: Associations with General Health, Mental Well-Being and Sustainable Employability

“…However, it is not possible to draw any conclusions in this respect based on the data of the current study. A literature review showed that participation rates in workplace health promotion programs are generally low, especially among those who need them most: rates typically range between 20 and 30% [30], which is comparable to the rates found in the current study (Army Staff 43.3%, Central Staff 15.8%, Airforce Staff 32.6%). The low participation rates could be caused by several reasons.…”

The Association between Adult Sport, Fitness, and Recreational Physical Activity and Number and Age of Children Present in the Household: A Secondary Analysis Using NHANES

“…Moreover, they highlighted the inclusion of incentives, feedback, competitive challenges, and monthly workshops as implementation strategies to increase employee engagement in these programs. Bensa and Sirok [43] most recently emphasized the need to identify determinants of participation in these programs to better target specific subgroups who may not participate in these programs. We believe such a focus could be beneficial in targeting the participation of parents with several young children.…”

Perceived Factors Influencing Blue-Collar Workers’ Participation in Worksite Health Promotion Programs in Freight Transport: A Qualitative Investigation Using the TDF and COM-B

“…Most evaluation research in health promotion focuses on the effectiveness of programs, neglecting the reach and enrollment of participants [29][30][31]. When reach is assessed, researchers often only provide numbers and general characteristics of participants, without providing insight into the underlying factors that influence participation [32].…”