The effect of participation in an incentive-based wellness program on self-reported exercise

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Behavioral Economics
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Employers are implementing wellness programs with financial incentives to promote healthy behaviors like regular exercise.
• Evidence on the effectiveness of these incentive-based programs in altering employee exercise habits is limited.
• Understanding program impact is crucial for optimizing workplace health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the effect of participation in an incentive-based wellness program on self-reported employee exercise.
• To analyze the impact of the University of Minnesota's Fitness Rewards Program on exercise frequency.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study using data from 2006-2010 for 2972 university employees.
• Utilized health risk assessments and university administrative files.
• Employed propensity score methods to compare participants and non-participants from 2008-2010.

Main Results:

• Program participation increased vigorous exercise by 0.59 days/week and strength-building exercise by 0.43 days/week in 2008.
• These positive effects on exercise frequency persisted through 2010.
• Employees with lower baseline exercise showed the greatest increases upon participation.

Conclusions:

• Financial incentives for fitness center utilization effectively encourage higher levels of employee exercise.
• The findings support the use of incentives to promote physical activity in the workplace.
• Future strategies should focus on motivating participation among less active individuals.