Supporting School Staff: Insights From Employee Health and Well‐Being Programs

Abstract

BackgroundThe workplace is an important setting for health protection, health promotion, and disease prevention programs. In the school setting, employee health and well‐being programs can address many physical and emotional concerns of school staff. This systematic review summarizes evidence‐based approaches from employee health and well‐being interventions supporting nutrition and physical activity (PA) in a variety of workplace settings.MethodsThe 2‐phase systematic review included a search for articles within systematic reviews that met our criteria (addressing employee health and well‐being programs; published 2010‐2018; Phase 1) and the identification of individual articles from additional searches (addressing school‐based employee interventions; published 2010‐2020; Phase 2). We included 35 articles.FindingsAcross all studies and types of interventions and workplace settings, findings were mixed; however, multicomponent interventions appeared to improve health behaviors and health outcomes among employees.Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and EquitySchools can apply this evidence from employee health and well‐being programs in various workplace settings to implement coordinated and comprehensive employee health and well‐being programs.ConclusionsEmployee health and well‐being programs may be effective at supporting nutrition and PA. Schools can use findings from employee health and well‐being programs in workplaces other than schools to support school staff.