Barriers and facilitators for participation in workplace health promotion programs: results from peer-to-peer interviews among employees

Abstract

Objective Workplace health promotion programs (WHPPs) have shown to be effective in improving lifestyle behaviors of employees. Despite potential benefits for employees, participation rates are generally low. The aim of this study was to gain deeper insight into barriers and facilitators for participation in WHPPs prior to implementation according to employees. Methods Peer-to-peer interviewing, a method derived from citizen science, was used to actively involve employees in the data collection. Employees working in the cleaning-, ICT- and facility-sector were trained to interview their co-workers. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), complemented with the constructs ‘interpersonal factors’ and ‘intrapersonal factors’ from the social ecological model. Data were coded deductively and inductively, and rated by two researchers independently. Results Fourteen peer-interviewers conducted 62 peer-to-peer interviews. Main barriers for participation in WHPPs were an unsupportive organizational culture where lifestyle is not a common topic and programs that are not tailored to their needs. Support from peers and supervisors were facilitators. The availability of organizational resources, such as facilities and financial compensation, support participation. Conclusions To enhance participation of employees in WHPPs it is recommended to take into account the barriers and facilitators identified in this study. For instance, employees should be involved in the development and implementation of WHPPS by the employer and their needs and available resources should be taken into account. This may lead to more successful implementation and higher participation rates in future WHPPs.

Digital workplace health promotion: a pilot study during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany

“…Ensuring that these concerns are met and that employees have adequate digital skills will be very important in promoting DWHP, paying attention to usability criteria (Hennemann et al, 2018). To increase the likelihood of high acceptance rates and meeting user needs, having employees and WHP professionals co-design (Smit et al, 2023) DWHP programs is recommended. Further research and integrating DWHP as key element for investigations on ICT and health at the workplace will be relevant in the context of its increased use.…”

“…As determinants of health are multifaceted (Dahlgren and Whitehead, 1991), efforts to promote health and prevent disease need to be specified for the respective setting. In the workplace, examining the barriers and facilitators of participation in WHP is especially relevant (Smit et al, 2023). During the SARS-CoV2pandemic, many companies supplemented elements or completely switched to digital WHP (DWHP) offers.…”

“…Moreover, we postulate that the access to WHP has an influence on the perception of the need or attractivity of DWHP. Literature reports several barriers towards participation in WHP (Smit et al, 2023;Stiehl et al, 2022;Tsai et al, 2019), which is why we included over 20 items regarding hampering aspects which can be subdivided into offer related (e.g. difficult integration into the workday, difficult to reach), social (e.g.…”

Barriers and Facilitators to Participation and Key Components of Sleep Health Programs

“…A possible solution proposed in the literature was to enable participation in the educational aspects of a sleep health program during work hours, thereupon keeping the private life separate from work-related activities. 36 The lack of work-life balance was another barrier that could discourage participation in sleep health programs. With new work structures adopted during COVID-19, additional strain was placed on work-life balance.…”

“…Another study exploring barriers to participating in WHPs found that time constraints that would limit participation were evident among employees who showed a preference to keep work and private life separate. A possible solution proposed in the literature was to enable participation in the educational aspects of a sleep health program during work hours, thereupon keeping the private life separate from work-related activities 36 …”