Effectiveness of total worker health interventions

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• Health Promotion

Background:

• Total Worker Health (TWH) was established in 2011 by NIOSH to integrate traditional occupational safety and health (OSH) with wellness and well-being.
• The expansion aims to address a broader spectrum of worker health concerns beyond injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review studies that combine OSH (health protection) and health promotion (HP) within single intervention programs.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of these integrated TWH interventions on worker health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted using keywords like TWH, health promotion, and health protection across databases such as PubMed and PsycINFO.
• Studies were included if they employed both OSH and HP strategies in the same intervention and reported outcomes for both.
• Only 17 studies met the inclusion criteria.

Main Results:

• 16 out of 17 TWH interventions demonstrated improvements in risk factors for injuries and/or chronic illnesses.
• Four interventions successfully improved 10 or more risk factors.
• Some TWH interventions showed sustained improvements for over a year, with one intervention readily available for dissemination.

Conclusions:

• Integrated TWH interventions are effective in improving workforce health, showing more rapid and comprehensive results than sequential, narrowly focused programs.
• The reviewed studies offer valuable models for structuring TWH interventions.
• Further research is recommended to identify and disseminate best practices for simultaneous improvements in safety, health, and well-being.