Changing the Work Environment to Promote Wellness

Abstract

It is estimated that employers spend more than 75 billion dollars annually on obesity-attributable health care. Interventions to reduce or prevent the risk of obesity are increasingly common at worksites and include health fairs, weight loss and nutrition classes, and fitness programs. However, many companies lack the resources to plan and implement these types of programs. Environmental approaches offer companies a low-cost option. A community-based participatory research model was used to bring academic researchers, human resources personnel, and health department educators together to plan and implement an environmental program aimed at increasing healthy eating and physical activity at four small manufacturing companies. The Diffusion of Innovations Theory guided the development of focus group questions. A focus group study was then conducted to gather information from employees and managers at these four companies. The questions identified workplace strategies that would aid in reducing barriers and developing appropriate communication channels to enhance employee participation in the program. The researchers identified themes from manager and employee focus groups regarding the following five environmental components: signs, walking paths, food changes, educational strategies, and advisory groups.