The impact of health risk awareness on employee risk levels.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the accuracy of employee self-reported health data and to assess health-risk changes after participation in a workplace health awareness and promotion program.


METHODS
Comparative analysis of self-reported and objective health data from 5403 individuals who completed health screenings at 2 time-points.


RESULTS
At baseline, 45.5% of participants were higher risk, and 47.4% underreported 3 or more risk measures. At second screening, the population improved in overall risk and in 5 of 7 risk measures (P < 0.0001), and the underreporting group improved more dramatically than the total population.


CONCLUSIONS
Workplace health promotion programs founded on objective health metrics can motivate employee health-risk reduction.
Rula
Elizabeth Y
EY
Center for Health Research, 701 Cool Springs Boulevard, Franklin, TN 37067, USA. elizabeth.rula@healthways.com
Hobgood
Adam
A
D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012308:Risk Management; D012650:Self Disclosure; D017132:Workplace
D002784:Cholesterol