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Employee Wellness Program in a small rural industry: employee evaluation
Melondie Carter1, Susan Gaskins, Lynda Shaw
1Department of Nursing, Capstone College of Nursing, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
Summary
Employees found a collaborative wellness program helpful, leading to positive health behavior changes like improved diet and exercise. Repeated screenings demonstrated the impact of these changes on health metrics.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Community Health Nursing
- Health Promotion
Background:
- Small rural industries often face challenges in providing comprehensive employee wellness programs.
- Collaboration between academic institutions and industry can bridge resource gaps.
- Employee perceptions are crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of workplace health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess employee perceptions of a wellness program developed through industry-nursing college partnership.
- To identify specific program components that employees found beneficial.
- To understand the impact of the wellness program on employee health behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Focus group methodology with 27 employees.
- Semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions.
- Qualitative data collection and analysis of employee feedback.
Main Results:
- Employees identified health screenings (hypertension, blood sugar, cholesterol) and related information as highly beneficial.
- Participants reported adopting health behavior changes, including dietary modifications and increased exercise.
- Screenings enhanced understanding of health results and the impact of behavior changes.
Conclusions:
- Collaborative wellness programs can effectively engage employees in health improvement.
- Health screenings and education are key components for promoting positive health behavior change.
- Repeated screenings reinforce the value of lifestyle modifications for managing health indicators.