title: Does Successful Weight Loss in an Internet-Based Worksite Weight Loss Program Improve Employee Presenteeism and Absenteeism?
abstract: Certain risk factors associated with overweight and obesity may lead to reduced productivity in the workforce (i.e., increased absenteeism and presenteeism). Participants in a large, Internet-based worksite weight loss intervention, who were present at follow-up (N = 1,030), completed a self-reported productivity measure (World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire) at baseline and postintervention. Twenty-two percent of the participants lost a clinically meaningful amount of weight (≥5% weight loss). There were no statistically significant (p < .05) relationships between weight change from baseline to 12 months and change scores of absolute or relative absenteeism or for absolute or relative presenteeism. Within a modestly successful Internet-based, worksite weight loss intervention, weight loss did not improve self-reported absenteeism or presenteeism. Further studies are needed to explore the sensitivity of the World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire and the long-term effects of weight loss on productivity.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA harden.samantha@vt.edu.
authors.forename: Samantha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Harden
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Fabio A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Jennie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Linnan
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kacie C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Estabrooks
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D000069597:Presenteeism / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods*; D017132:Workplace
keywords: productivity; worksite weight loss intervention
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