| BackgroundAlthough a body of studies abroad have showed association between health risk factors and presenteeism, little attention has been paid to them by employers at home due to differences in organization of enterprises, health-care system and cultural context between home and abroad. As lack of guidelines of health promotion at workplace for small and medium-size enterprises in China, nowadays, it is still an unproved problem whether health promotion there could improve employees’ health and what kind of intervention would be effective for it. This study aims at investigating association between health risk factors and presenteeism at a press company in Beijing, and evaluating effectiveness of health promotion there.ObjectivesThe study is purposed (1) to describe distribution of health risk factors among employees in the company;(2) to figure out whether health risk factors associate with presenteeism; and (3) to evaluate effectiveness of health promotion in reduction of health risk factors among employees.MethodsQuasi-experiment design was used in the study to compare difference before and after intervention, with no control group. A health risk appraisal questionnaire was prepared based on literature reviews, experts counseling and questionnaires used in other countries, including the health risk appraisal (HRA) questionnaire from University of Michigan Health Management Research Center, the HRA questionnaire of WebMed Service Group and the HRA questionnaire of Mayo Clinic Center. In preparing our productivity questionnaire, some items of the Health and Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) of the World Health Organization and the Work Productivity Short Inventory (WPSI) were cited. Then, both of the health risk appraisal questionnaire and productivity questionnaire were combined as Health and Productivity Questionnaire (HPQ) used in the study, which was improved with comments and suggestions from experts before the study. A baseline survey was conducted among employees in a press company of Beijing with self-administered HPQ, and after that, health intervention was implemented among the employees for15months. Then, a follow-up survey was conducted with HPQ again in the same study population to compare their changes in health risk factors and presenteeism, and analyze association between them.Results(1) At baseline, about biological and behavioral health risk factors among the233employees in the company, unhealthy dietary habit was found in47.21percent of them, physical inactivity28.33percent, high blood pressure26.18percent, overweight or obesity25.75percent, smoking17.60percent, alcohol drinking18.88percent, and use of relaxing drugs3.86percent, respectively. When it comes to psychological health risk factors,80.69percent of them reported some pressure from life or work at least,16.74percent reported unsatisfaction with their life and job, respectively, and9.44percent had poor or bad perception for their general health. And,26.92percent of them had two health risk factors and20.19percent had three health risk factors, and69.23percent of them were in low health risk and30.77percent in high health risk, respectively.(2) Proportions of smokers (χ2=36.922, P<0.001), alcohol users (χ2=20.119, P<0.001), overweight or obesity (x2=23.695, P<0.001) and high blood pressure (χ2=20.235, P<0.001), as well as proportion of unsatisfaction with their job (Z=-2.175, P=0.030), all were higher in male employees than those in females, respectively. More employees above45years of age fell into smoking (χ2=6.676,P=0.010), overweight or obese (χ2=11.500, P=0.001) than those below45, respectively.And more employees below45years of age fell into physical inactivity (χ2=5.926,P=0.015), self-reported job and life pressure (Z=-2.875,P=0.004) than those above45. More employees unmarried or in other marital status were alcohol users (χ2=4.219, P=0.040) and satisfied with their life (Z=3.812, P<0.001) than those married. Employees with higher educational level were more likely to be sedentary (χ2=5.084, P=0.024) and to suffer from job and life pressure (Z=3.121,P=0.002) than those with lower educational level. Male employees were more likely to have more health risk factors (Z=4.794, P<.001) and fell into high health risk (Z=4.794, P<0.001) than females. Employees aged above45years had more health risk factors than those below45(Z=-2.287, P=0.022), and more of those above45were in high health risk than those below45(Z=-2.287,P=0.022).(3) There were40.77percent of employees reported presenteeism. Employees unmarried and in other marital status were more likely to report presenteeism (χ2=8.979, P=0.003) and report higher level of presenteeism than those married (Z=3.070, P=0.002), and those with master degree or higher educational level reported higher level of presenteeism than those with lower educational level (Z=2.074, P=0.038), respectively.(4) As compared to the employees with college or lower educational level, those with higher educational level were more likely to report presenteeism (OR=3.564,95%CT:1.260-10.087). Employees unmarried and in other marital status were more likely to report presenteeism (OR=5.116,95%CI:1.000-26.185), and those unsatisfied with their life were more likely to report presenteeism than those satisfied (OR=3.981,95%CI:0.970-16.342). Number of health risk factors associated with level of presenteeism (rs=0.199,P=0.050), and employees in high health risk reported higher level of presenteeism than those in low health risk (Z=2.553,.P=0.011).(5) There were143employees participated in health intervention. After15-month intervention, proportion of the participants with unhealthy dietary habit decreased to29.37percent from47.55percent at baseline (χ2=9.941, P=0.002), and those who participated in lectures for health promotion were more likely to change their poor dietary habit than those who did not (χ2=9.941, P=0.002), and those who read at least some health messages via e-mails were more likely to change their unhealthy dietary habit than those who did not (χ2=9.143, P=0.003). Proportion of the participants with absolute presenteeism increased to48.48percent from36.36percent at baseline (χ2=5.333, P=0.021), but the difference in relative preseteeism after intervention did not reach statistical significance (χ2=-156, P=0.265)Conclusions(1) Biological and behavioral health risk factors among employees in a press company of Beijing include unhealthy dietary habit, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, overweight or obesity, smoking, alcohol drinking and use of relaxing drugs, in a ranked order. When it comes to psychological health risk factors, most of the employees at least reported they had some pressure from life or job. Only a small proportion of them reported unsatisfaction with their life and job, and perceived poor or bad in their general health.(2) At baseline survey,40.77percent of employees reported they had presenteeism. Their martial status, educational level and level of life satisfaction all associate with presenteeism. As compared to the employees with college or lower educational level, those who had higher educational level were more likely to report presenteeism and higher level of presenteeism. Employees unmarried and in other marital status were more likely to report presenteeism and higher level of presenteeism. Those unsatisfied with their life were more likely to report presenteeism than those satisfied. Furthermore, both number of health risk factors and level of health risk associate with level of presenteeism. Employees in high health risk had higher level of presenteeism than those in low health risk.(3) As compared to that at baseline, employees who participated in lectures for health promotion were more likely to change their poor dietary habit than those who did not. Those who read at least some health messages via e-mails were more likely to change their unhealthy dietary habit than those who did not. Proportion of employees with absolute presenteeism increased after health intervention, while change of their relative presenteeism did not reach statistical significance. |
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