Highlights from the National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities

Employers became interested in sponsoring health promotion activities in the mid 1970s. When "Health Objectives for the Nation" was published in 1980, the worksite was recognized as a prominent setting for health promotion activities, and overall attention to the importance of prevention measures surged. By the mid 1980s health promotion programs seemed to be as firmly entrenched in the workplace as in other sites. Yet, beyond the supposition that business had become a major force in health promotion, firm data about worksite health activities simply have not been available. The National Survey of Worksite Health Promotion Activities was conducted to determine the extent and scope of activities in worksites across the United States. The survey provides quantitative evidence that the worksite is indeed a major channel for health promotion activities. With the survey data in hand, the size and shape of the challenge is known. Action must begin on the opportunity to provide health promotion activities for everyone at his or her place of work.