Is It Time to Re-Shift the Research Agenda? A Scoping Review of Participation Rates in Workplace Health Promotion...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health Interventions
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Workplace health promotion programmes (WHPPs) are crucial for the ageing workforce's health and motivation.
• Challenges include low participation and inequitable engagement, often missing at-risk individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of participation rates in WHPPs.
• To identify knowledge gaps in reported participation data.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search and screening of articles following PRISMA guidelines.
• Analysis of reported participation rates from selected studies.

Main Results:

• Participation rates are infrequently reported and generally low, with most studies reporting <50% engagement.
• Inconsistent reporting across studies (target groups, intervention types, time points) hinders comparability.
• A significant portion of reviewed articles (21/58) did not report participation rates.

Conclusions:

• Current WHPP research inadequately reports participation, hindering effective evaluation.
• Future research must prioritize understanding participation determinants and standardizing reporting methods.
• Addressing reporting bias is crucial for accurate assessment of WHPP effectiveness.