The Impact of an Incentive-Based Worksite Health Promotion Program on Modifiable Health Risk Factors

Abstract

A health promotion program consisting of an annual health screening and financial rebates for good health practices was offered to all 2540 employees of Salt Lake County in Utah. Changes in health risks were measured for the 304 full time employees who participated in assessments for four years. Significant improvements were seen in body fat, cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, seat belt use, and overall physical health among the high risk group and the low risk group. There was a net increase in the number of people in the high risk group over the four year period.

Effect of Health Risk Appraisal Frequency on Change in Health Status

“…25,26 Financial incentives (or disincentives) have been used to promote wellness participation and some success for this strategy has been reported. 12,[27][28][29][30] As employers increasingly view workforce health as a business asset and invest in strategies to improve or maintain the health and productivity of employees, HRAs serve as both measurement and education tools when incorporated in comprehensive worksite wellness programs. Similarly, more health plans are actively engaged in improving health and preventing adverse health events among their covered members and are offering HRAs to their members to achieve these goals.…”

“…9 Thus, a more pragmatic approach may be to keep nondisease, nonrisk people disease and risk free, or to encourage people not to get worse if already experiencing health risks or health conditions. 12,13 risk 14 -17 and the effect of HRA participation on lowering health care cost, 18 …”

Use of incentives to motivate healthy behaviors among employees

“…Although there is some evidence that these programs are effective in promoting healthy behaviors and may reduce medical expenditures (see, e.g., Atkinson, 2001Atkinson, , 2003Brotherton, 1998;Goetzel et al, 2002;Hubbert et al, 2003;Poole et al, 2001;Stanford University, 2002;Serxner and Gold, 2001;Stein, 2000;Vandewater, 2003), we were unable to identify a study that uses a randomized controlled design to test whether financial and/or other incentives are better at promoting healthy behaviors than other, more traditional, worksite wellness programs. Many other questions also remain unresolved, including, but not limited to the following:…”

Reanalysis of a tailored web-based exercise programme for office workers with sub-acute low back pain: Assessing the stage of change in behaviour

“…However, major absenteeism due to work-related diseases has led to increased attention to this issue (Macedo et al, 2011). Furthermore, several studies show the effectiveness and costeffectiveness of health promotion programmes in the workplace (Cho, Kang, Park, Paek, & Choi, 2009;Logan, Milne, Achber, Campbell, & Haynes, 1981;MacKinnon et al, 2010;Poole, Kumpfer, & Pett, 2001;Robroek, Bredt, & Burdorf, 2007). Research suggests that exercise programmes of short duration are most appropriate for employees who work long shifts (Bell and Burnett, 2009).…”