Development of a multiple risk factor Brief Health Check for workplaces

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Public health interventions
• Health promotion program design

Background:

• Workplace health promotion is crucial for reducing chronic disease risk factors globally.
• The Brief Health Check (BHC) is a key component of the state-funded Get Healthy at Work program in New South Wales.
• Program implementation was accelerated due to policy demands, necessitating an adapted evaluation approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the design of the Brief Health Check (BHC) tool.
• To develop evidence-based processes for worker referrals to lifestyle programs and for general practitioner involvement.
• To adapt translational formative evaluation for scaled-up health promotion delivery.

Main Methods:

• Utilized translational formative evaluation to design the BHC tool and referral processes.
• Assessed feasibility, acceptance, and barriers through qualitative feedback.
• Conducted a cluster non-randomized trial to evaluate the impact of incentives on participation.

Main Results:

• The BHC tool demonstrated good feasibility and acceptance among workers.
• Identified barriers included organizational issues, time constraints, and worker skepticism.
• A significant proportion of at-risk workers received appropriate referrals, though uptake requires improvement. Incentives showed no benefit.

Conclusions:

• The Brief Health Check is a viable tool for identifying and referring at-risk workers in occupational settings.
• Addressing organizational barriers and enhancing referral uptake are critical for increasing the public health impact of workplace health promotion.
• Further research should focus on optimizing referral pathways and engagement strategies.