Characteristics of health promotion programs in Federal worksites: findings from the Federal Employee Worksite Project.

PURPOSE

To describe how well-established health promotion programs at selected federal worksites were designed, organized, and implemented and to identify factors related to employee participation.

DESIGN

This descriptive study related characteristics of the health promotion program, worksites, and workforce to employee participation and perceptions of program impacts.

SETTING

The study was conducted at 10 established federal worksite health promotion programs in various regions of the country.

SUBJECTS

A total of 3403 of 5757 federal employees (59%) sampled completed employee surveys.

MEASURES

Study data were collected from on-site observations, interviews, focus groups, and employee surveys.

RESULTS

Overall, program participation rates were high, and employees reported positive impacts on their health and attitudes toward the agency. Participation in health screening, perceived program convenience, and perceived support by management and others were important determinants of participation and of perceived work-related outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Although site selection and response rate limit generalizability, the sites evaluated represent a broad cross-section of different types and sizes of agencies. The findings should be relevant in many other settings. Study programs compare favorably with private sector programs. Employees viewed the programs very positively. The most cogent challenge in justifying these, and perhaps other, worksite programs is that most participants already or simultaneously engage in health promotion activities elsewhere "on their own."