Worksite Wellness Matters

Abiola Keller

UW Master of Public Health Program

Background

• Strong Rural Communities Initiative (SRCI) Organizational Chart

• Wisconsin Worksite Wellness Resource Kit• Purpose• Methods• Results• Limitations• Conclusion

Rural Health Development Council

SRCI Steering Committee (a RHDC

Sub-Committee)

Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative

(SRCI Fiscal Agent)

Three Local Community Projects Funded by

HWP

MCW Center for Healthy Communities

MCW Academic Partner

Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program at

MCW

Three Local Community Projects Funded by

WPFHF

Wisconsin Office of Rural Health

UWSMPH Academic Partner

Wisconsin Partnership Fund For A Healthy Future at UWSMPH

Strong Rural Communities Initiative (SRCI) Organizational Chart

Approaches to Enhance “State Support for Business Sector to Expand

Wellness Initiatives”

1. Wisconsin Main Street Program2. Wisconsin Worksite Wellness Resource

Kit3. “Healthy Communities” Movement4. New or Hybrid Approach

The Wisconsin Worksite Wellness Resource Kit

• Released in August 2006 by the Wisconsin Nutrition and Physical Activity Program

• Designed to guide worksites through the steps of developing a wellness program

• In 2006 11 local nutrition and physical activity coalition-worksite partnerships were funded through the National Governor’s Association to implement worksite wellness programs using the kit

Purpose

• Can small and smaller employers have success in wellness programming when using the Wisconsin Worksite Wellness Resource Kit?

Methods

• Questionnaire developed and administered to 10 of the 11 nutrition and physical activity coalitions who participated in the NGA mini-grants

• 7 coalitions returned completed surveys for a response rate of 70%

• Survey responses were analyzed using thematic analysis

Methods

• Measures of Success:– Establishment of a wellness committee– Development of activities that increase

employee awareness of healthy behaviors– Development of activities that encourage

employees to adopt healthier lifestyles– Implementation of policies that make it easier

for employees to choose healthier behaviors

Results• Wellness Committees formed• Employee Awareness

– Annual Health Risk Assessments– Informative wellness activities incorporated into in-

service days• Activities to promote healthy lifestyles

– Healthy foods in breakrooms– “Healthy Makeover” of vending machines– Onsite yoga classes– Walking challenges

Results

• Policies– More suitable breastfeeding room– Continued wellness committee meetings and

programming – Establishing a budget for wellness

committees– Healthy food option must be provided at all

upper level meetings

What We Learned

• Barriers to worksite wellness programming– Lack of Funds– Lack of Time– Lack of Organization– Lack of Participation

What We Learned

• Proposed improvements:– More tools for administering wellness

programs– More tools for forming policies– Mechanism for locating specific information

Limitations

85%

11%2%2%

<20

20-99

100-499

500+

Number of firms by employment size for Wisconsin, 2005

SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau available at http://www.census.gov/epcd/susb/latest/us/US--.HTM#table2

Limitations

• Small sample size• Participants identified by the Wisconsin

Nutrition and Physical Activity Program• Information about businesses reported by

coalitions• Except in one case, businesses did not

use the kit independently

Conclusions

• Small employers, in the NGA mini-grant program, did have success in wellness programming when using the Wisconsin Worksite Wellness Resource Kit

• The utility of the kit for smaller employers needs to be further explored

Acknowledgements

• Thank you to Tim Size, Jon Morgan, and Barbara Duerst for their contributions to this project