Health promotion in the workplace: a systematic review of the literature

Objective: To recognize the current trends in the implementation of health promotion programs in workplaces, according to the literature, investigating whether these programs follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken seeking theoretical or practical issues related to health promotion in workplaces, using the following descriptors: health promotion, workplace, working environment, work, smoking, tobacco use cessation, alcoholism, feeding, motor activity, counseling, health profile, routine diagnostic tests, health status indicators, indicators, preventive medicine, transtheoretical model, triage e absenteeism. Articles in Portuguese, English and Spanish, from 2000 to 2009 and from PUBMED, BIREME and SCIELO databases were included in the study. Results: The 95 selected articles were classified according to the studied topics and the main focus of their interventions. The overall results of this analysis show the importance of proper planning, evaluation of results to correct any failure of execution and of mixing individual and organizational interventions to optimize results. Conclusions: Scientific publications dealing with actions of Health Promotion at workplace are found in good number, comprising the major theoretical and practical aspects related to their implementation. Nevertheless, few studies are carried out by teams of Occupational Health and health managers of companies, with great predominance of essays performed by professionals involved in the academic area.