| Summary: | With rapidly rising health care expenditures, health care cost containment has
become a major issue facing this nation. A phenomenal growth in worksite health
promotion has occurred with the recognition that these programs have the potential to
reduce these costs. However, to be effective as a cost containment strategy, health
promotion programs must successfully attract participants, particularly those whose
health is most at-risk. Due to limited research on issues of participation, there is a
need to investigate the characteristics of individuals attracted to worksite health promotion
programs and the factors that influence their participation.
The purpose of this study was to explore the characterization of participants
and nonparticipants and to examine the factors that influence participation in health
promotion programs. A self-selected participant group (n=173) was compared to a
nonparticipant group (n =146) with respect to sociodemographic characteristics,
health care costs, health status, and health risk behaviors. Qualitative and quantitative
data were collected from the employer's records and from a questionnaire
designed to address specific components of the program.
Results indicated that management/administrative staff were more likely to
participate in the health promotion program than were classified or faculty staff. For
the period of the survey, participants were also more likely to be nonsmokers and
were less likely to be injured on-the-job during one of the survey years. The workers'
compensation claims costs for nonparticipants were significantly higher in one
survey year and over the two-year average period considered. However, the nonparticipant
claims were strongly influenced by one costly claim in 1988. The two
groups did not differ when the absenteeism data from the employer's records were
analyzed.
In addition, it was found that subjects with the highest levels of participation
also had the fewest number of children living in the household. Time constraints as
a result of job schedule, work/activity load, and meeting times of the activities were
the most important factors limiting participation in the program.
Further research is needed to assess program effectiveness and program impact
upon employee health and health care costs. The analysis should be conducted
over a longer period of time and comparisons should be made within as well as
between groups. === Graduation date: 1992
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