Life-style related health promotion needs in oil refinery employees

This report describes the screening procedure used in the assessment of health promotion needs in a group of oil refinery employees (n = 885). The aim of the study was to assess the life-style related health promotion needs before initiating an intervention programme study. The frequency of different health promotion needs and their distribution according to age, gender and employee group were examined, as well as the factors explaining different health promotion needs. The assessment was based on laboratory tests and questionnaires covering the target areas of physical activity and fitness, dietary habits, overweight, blood pressure, serum lipids, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep, mental health, and musculoskeletal symptoms. Life-style related health promotion needs were frequent. Self-assessed health was strongly associated with health promotion needs in most of the ten target areas and also with the total number per person of areas with health promotion needs. Health promotion needs were also associated with such demographic variables as age, gender, basic education, and vocational training. If health promotion activities are provided to employees in a company, assessment of individual needs is necessary to find the employees with the greatest need of health promotion actions. This study presents one method of screening, although certain simplification is needed to make it fit into the daily routines. The contents of health promotion activities could also vary according to the differences related to age and gender observed in health promotion needs of the target population.