Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Worksite health promotion programs (WHPP) promote maintenance and changes of health-related behaviors of employees. Some companies opt to contract with a third party provider to implement a WHPP. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the participation rates, availability and use of health coaching, and changes in biometric data over a 2-year time period of employees in 13 companies for whom the WHPP was implemented by Wellness Corporate Solutions (WCS). METHODS: We had 2 years of biometric, health risk appraisal (HRA), or health coaching data on 4,473 employees. The statistical analysis included biometric screening data (percent body fat, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), high- and low-density lipoproteins (HDL-C, LDL-C), TC/HDL ratio, triglycerides, glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP)) from all 13 companies and health coaching data from five companies. RESULTS: Employee participation rates of the 13 companies ranged from 35% to 75%. Five of the 13 companies provided voluntary telephonic health coaching to employees participating in their WHPPs. Of those employees for which we had 2-year data, 125 (12.9%) actually participated in health coaching. Only one of the 13 companies demonstrated improvement in all 10 biometric measurements and 1 company demonstrated improvement in only one biometric measurement. The biometric measurements that showed the greatest improvements over time were triglycerides, blood pressure, BMI, and TC. There was no association found between the number of variables that improved and employee participation rate (p = 0.8814) or the type of incentives offered to employees (p = 0.1389). Availability and use of health coaching did not appear to affect the number of variables that improved. Compared to employees who did not use health coaching, there were significantly greater changes in DBP, HDL-C, and BMI (p < 0.05) in employees who used health coaching. The magnitude of change in variables of interest was dependent, in part, on the baseline value. CONCLUSIONS: Voluntary participation in WHPPs results in positive changes in health-related biometric variables. Health coaching can positively affect the magnitude of change in some biometric variables and the magnitude of change is likely related to the baseline value and the frequency of coaching interactions. Further research should evaluate the benefits of various forms and frequencies of health coaching. Worksite health promotion programs and health coaching may also have a positive impact on other variables (e.g., employee attitudes and morale) not addressed in this study.

Degree

College and Department

Life Sciences; Exercise Sciences

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