The Association of Technology in a Workplace Wellness Program With Health Risk Factor Reduction

OBJECTIVE:Determine whether there is a relationship between level of engagement in workplace wellness programs and population/individual health risk reductions. METHODS:A total of 7804 employees from 15 employers completed health risk appraisal and laboratory testing at baseline and again after 2 years of participating in their personalized prevention plan. Population and individual health risk transitions were analyzed across the population, as well as by stage of engagement. RESULTS:Of those individuals who started in a high risk category at baseline, 46% moved down to medium risk and 19% moved down to low risk category after 2 years on their prevention plan. In the group that only engaged through the Web-based technology, 24% reduced their health risks (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS:Engaging technology and interactive Web-based tools can empower individuals to be more proactive about their health and reduce their health risks.