Partnership in employee health. A workplace health program for British Columbia Public Service Agency (Canada)

Impact assessment of e-trainings in occupational safety and health: a literature review

BACKGROUND

Implementing workplace preventive interventions reduces occupational accidents and injuries, as well as the negative consequences of those accidents and injuries. Online occupational safety and health training is one of the most effective preventive interventions. This study aims to present current knowledge on e-training interventions, make recommendations on the flexibility, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of online training, and identify research gaps and obstacles.

METHOD

All studies that addressed occupational safety and health e-training interventions designed to address worker injuries, accidents, and diseases were chosen from PubMed and Scopus until 2021. Two independent reviewers conducted the screening process for titles, abstracts, and full texts, and disagreements on the inclusion or exclusion of an article were resolved by consensus and, if necessary, by a third reviewer. The included articles were analyzed and synthesized using the constant comparative analysis method.

RESULT

The search identified 7,497 articles and 7,325 unique records. Following the title, abstract, and full-text screening, 25 studies met the review criteria. Of the 25 studies, 23 were conducted in developed and two in developing countries. The interventions were carried out on either the mobile platform, the website platform, or both. The study designs and the number of outcomes of the interventions varied significantly (multi-outcomes vs. single-outcome). Obesity, hypertension, neck/shoulder pain, office ergonomics issues, sedentary behaviors, heart disease, physical inactivity, dairy farm injuries, nutrition, respiratory problems, and diabetes were all addressed in the articles.

CONCLUSION

According to the findings of this literature study, e-trainings can significantly improve occupational safety and health. E-training is adaptable, affordable, and can increase workers' knowledge and abilities, resulting in fewer workplace injuries and accidents. Furthermore, e-training platforms can assist businesses in tracking employee development and ensuring that training needs are completed. Overall, this analysis reveals that e-training has enormous promise in the field of occupational safety and health for both businesses and employees.

Effectiveness of a Type 2 Diabetes Screening Intervention in the Canadian Workplace

OBJECTIVES

There is a lack of Canadian data concerning the effectiveness of diabetes interventions in the workplace. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Motivaction, a diabetes screening and education pilot program, in the workplace.

METHODS

The Motivaction program involves a voluntary web-based diabetes health-risk assessment, the Canadian Diabetes Risk Questionnaire (CANRISK), combined with an opportunity for those eligible (i.e. having diabetes or having a CANRISK score ≥21) to attend 2 on-site biometric screening meetings with a registered nurse and 4 educational sessions by telephone with a certified diabetes educator. Biometric data, as well as information about self-efficacy, lifestyle changes, productivity, well-being, mental health and program satisfaction, were collected at baseline and at 6 months.

RESULTS

Attendance at the initial and 6-month clinical visits included 293 people. At baseline, 21% were identified as having prediabetes (13%) or having diabetes (8%). Statistically significant reductions in glycated hemoglobin levels from baseline to the study's end were observed in those with prediabetes or diabetes. No statistically significant changes in glycated hemoglobin levels were observed in individuals with normal levels or in those at risk for diabetes at baseline. No statistical differences were observed in terms of productivity or mental health for the full population or across diabetes-risk categories. More than 90% of employees would recommend the Motivaction program to other employers.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a framework for future diabetes interventions in the workplace and demonstrates that workplace interventions may reduce employees' diabetes risk levels and are valued by employees.

SCReening Evaluation of the Evolution of New Heart Failure Study (SCREEN-HF): early detection of chronic heart failure in the workplace

Objective The aim of the present study was to determine whether asymptomatic heart failure (HF) in the workplace is subject to the health worker effect, making screening using conventional risk factors combined with a cardiac biomarker, namely N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), as useful as in the general population. Methods Between June 2007 and December 2009 a 'well' population deemed at high risk for development of HF was identified through health insurance records. Blood was collected from volunteer participants for analysis of urea, electrolytes and creatinine, a full blood count and NT-proBNP. An echocardiogram was performed on selected participants based on high NT-proBNP concentrations. Results The mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly reduced in participants with the highest compared with the lowest NT-proBNP quintile. In multivariate analysis, log-transformed NT-proBNP was independently associated with impaired LVEF and with moderate to severe diastolic dysfunction after adjustment for age, sex, coronary artery disease, diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Conclusions A large burden of asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction (AVLD) was observed in subjects aged 60 and over with plasma NT-proBNP in the top quintile that was independent of conventional risk factors and work status. HWE does not appear to operate in AVLD. NT-proBNP testing in a population with HF risk factors may cost-effectively identify those at greatest risk of developing HF in a working population and facilitate early diagnosis, treatment and maintenance of work capacity. What is known about the topic? Chronic heart failure (CHF) has several causes, the most common being hypertension and coronary ischaemia. CHF is a major health problem of increasing prevalence that severely impacts quality of life, shortens lives and reduces worker productivity. It is often not diagnosed early enough to take full advantage of ameliorating medication. What does this paper add? Population screening for CHF is not currently advocated. This may be because conventional risk factors must be used in combination and there is no useful biomarker available. Yet evidence (SOLVD (Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction trials) recommends early diagnosis. We believe the work place is an area of potential screening where there is little supporting evidence. This paper provides evidence that the biomarker NT-proBNP is a useful new tool that improves cost-effectiveness of screening in a selected population. Specifically, the paper recommends CHF screening in the population with the highest potential health gain (i.e. the working population) by the sector with the highest economic gain (i.e. employers). What are the implications for practitioners? The paper presents important health screening recommendations for medical and health and safety practitioners within a selected population of workers. We feel practitioners should consider screening for incipient heart failure, particularly within Australia's working population, to save lives, provide economic benefit and extend working longevity.

Nurse and Physician Involvement in Health Risk Appraisals: An Integrative Review

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors continue to be a strong contributor to chronic illness and death in the United States. Despite the health care system's efforts to refocus on prevention, primary care visits remain acute care focused. Health risk appraisals are tools that can be used by primary care providers to enhance lifestyle behavior change and prevention efforts. The purpose of this integrative review is to examine nurse and physician use of health risk appraisals in primary care. A total of 26 national and international papers, selected through an electronic database and ancestry search, were reviewed. Identified nurse and physician interventions in addition to other programming included helping participants understand and interpret feedback, behavioral counseling, and development of plans to address unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. The most common intervention was provision of telephonic nurse advice lines. Overall outcomes were positive. The use of these tools could be key to enhancing primary care prevention.

Steps that count! The development of a pedometer-based health promotion intervention in an employed, health insured South African population

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) has been identified as a central component in the promotion of health. PA programs can provide a low cost intervention opportunity, encouraging PA behavioral change while worksites have been shown to be an appropriate setting for implementing such health promotion programs. Along with these trends, there has been an emergence of the use of pedometers as a self-monitoring and motivational aid for PA.This study determines the effectiveness of a worksite health promotion program comprising of a 10-week, pedometer-based intervention ("Steps that Count!"), and individualized email-based feedback to effect PA behavioral change.

METHODS

The study is a randomized controlled trial in a worksite setting, using pedometers and individualized email-based feedback to increase steps per day (steps/d). Participant selection will be based on attendance at a corporate wellness event and information obtained, following the completion of a Health Risk Appraisal (HRA), in keeping with inclusion criteria for the study. All participants will, at week 1 (pre-intervention), be provided with a blinded pedometer to assess baseline levels of PA. Participants will be provided with feedback on pedometer data and identify strategies to improve daily PA towards current PA recommendations. Participants will thereafter be randomly assigned to the intervention group (INT) or control group (CTL). The INT will subsequently wear an un-blinded pedometer for 10 consecutive weeks.Individualized feedback messages based on average steps per day, derived from pedometer data (INT) and general supportive/motivational messages (INT+CTL), will be provided via bi-weekly e-mails; blinded pedometer-wear will be conducted at week 12 (post-intervention: INT+CTL).

DISCUSSION

The purpose of this paper is to outline the rationale behind, and the development of, an intervention aimed at improving ambulatory PA through pedometer use, combined with regular, individualized, email-based feedback. Pedometer-measured PA and individualized feedback may be a practical and easily applied intervention.