Demographic Characteristics of Users of Worksite Health Promotion Written Materials

Abstract

Background. Despite a long history of work organizations supplying health-oriented written materials to employees, little was known about the underlying factors contributing to their use. Earlier findings suggested that demographics might play a role in this process. Therefore, this research attempted to define user profiles of four basic written materials commonly found in worksite programs; medical self-care guide, newsletter, health risk appraisal (HRA), and HRA individual report. Methods. The results of a post-program questionnaire were collected from 10 work organizations using a commercial health promotion program (N >= 5,167; 29.8%). After defining a user for each piece, chi-square and logistic regression determined proportional differences between users and nonusers by selected demographics. Results. After controlling for variable interactions, the most likely user of the medical self-care guide was a non-white, lower educated female over age 40; the newsletter, a female over age 40; the HRA, a higher job rated female, and the HRA report, a female over age 40. Discussion. Written materials may have a different use pattern than other program offerings, or different than what might have been suspected intuitively. Other than female gender, most demographic variables either offered insignificant or unexpected contributions to prediction models. These results suggest that written materials may have a wider appeal than previously recognized.