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Grooten W1, Hansson A1, Forsman M2, Kjellberg K2, Toomingas A2, Müller M1, Svartengren M3, Äng B4
1Karolinska Institutet, NVS, Huddinge, Sweden, 2Karolinska Institutet, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden, 3Uppsala University, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden, 4Dalarna University, School of Education, Health and Social Studies, Falun, Sweden
Background: Health risk assessments (HRAs) are commonly used by occupational health services (OHS) to aid workplaces in keeping their employees healthy, but for unknown reasons, many employees choose not to participate in the HRAs.
Purpose: The aim of the study was to explore whether demographic, lifestyle and health-related factors in employees are associated with non-participation in initial and repeated HRAs.
Methods: In an OHS-based health project, 2,022 municipal employees were asked to participate in three repeated HRAs. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used so as to determine associations between non-participating in initial and repeated HRAs and demographic, lifestyle and health-related factors.
Results: Among the employees who were asked to participate in the health project, more than half did not participate in any HRA and among those who did, more than one third did not participate in repeated HRAs. Young age, male sex and being employed in the Technical department or Health and Social Care department in comparison with being employed in the department for Childcare and Education were factors significantly associated with non-participation in the initial HRA. These factors, together with being on sick leave and having unhealthy dietary habits, were factors associated with non-participation in repeated HRAs.
Conclusion(s): This study confirmed the low participation rates in HRAs found in previous studies. It also confirmed the age and sex-related non-participation factors of previous studies. Concerning repeated HRAs, the present study indicates that the factors age, sex, department, sick leave in the previous year and self-rated inadequate nutrition lifestyle are associated with discontinuation of participation i.e. non-participation in repeated HRAs.
Implications: The results of this study could be of value for further discussions between OHS providers and employers with the aim of increasing participation focusing specifically on optimizing conditions and adjusting communication/motivation strategies for groups with high rates of non-participation. Future studies should also focus on modifiable variables that could make the HRAs more attractive and inclusive.
Keywords: Occupational health services, Health screening, Lifestyle changes
Funding acknowledgements: This study was funded by AFA Insurance (Dnr 090270).
Purpose: The aim of the study was to explore whether demographic, lifestyle and health-related factors in employees are associated with non-participation in initial and repeated HRAs.
Methods: In an OHS-based health project, 2,022 municipal employees were asked to participate in three repeated HRAs. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used so as to determine associations between non-participating in initial and repeated HRAs and demographic, lifestyle and health-related factors.
Results: Among the employees who were asked to participate in the health project, more than half did not participate in any HRA and among those who did, more than one third did not participate in repeated HRAs. Young age, male sex and being employed in the Technical department or Health and Social Care department in comparison with being employed in the department for Childcare and Education were factors significantly associated with non-participation in the initial HRA. These factors, together with being on sick leave and having unhealthy dietary habits, were factors associated with non-participation in repeated HRAs.
Conclusion(s): This study confirmed the low participation rates in HRAs found in previous studies. It also confirmed the age and sex-related non-participation factors of previous studies. Concerning repeated HRAs, the present study indicates that the factors age, sex, department, sick leave in the previous year and self-rated inadequate nutrition lifestyle are associated with discontinuation of participation i.e. non-participation in repeated HRAs.
Implications: The results of this study could be of value for further discussions between OHS providers and employers with the aim of increasing participation focusing specifically on optimizing conditions and adjusting communication/motivation strategies for groups with high rates of non-participation. Future studies should also focus on modifiable variables that could make the HRAs more attractive and inclusive.
Keywords: Occupational health services, Health screening, Lifestyle changes
Funding acknowledgements: This study was funded by AFA Insurance (Dnr 090270).
Topic: Occupational health & ergonomics; Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Karolinska Institutet - dep neurobiology, care sciences and society
Ethics committee: Regional ethics committee in Stockholm, Sweden
Ethics number: DNR: 2011/417- 31/5
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
