| In the United States, since 1980, excess weight reached epidemic levels and labeled a public health crisis. Obesity rates correlated with chronic disease drive health care expenditures, absenteeism, worker compensation claims, co-morbidities, mortality rates, and more.;Many organizations offer employee wellness programs but are difficult to measure benefits and determine the most effective strategies. Wellness program effectiveness was seldom linked to organizational variables. Research questions were: (1) What organizational variable effects, such as organizational size, engagement in policies that encourage participation, and median income of the school district, determined by zip code income census data, have on school employee health outcomes, perceived health and wellness participation rates; and (2) Will the employee's residence effect health outcomes, perceived health and wellness participation rates, determined by employee's residence zip code and median income zip code census data.;Research generally focused on one organizational variable or health outcome in a variety of organizations, whereas this study examined multiple organizational variables and health outcomes within many school districts. The hypotheses were: (1) Mid-sized districts have better employee health outcomes, perceived health and participation rates than larger-sized districts; (2) Districts with better developed wellness policies using best practices have a positive effect on employee health outcomes, perceived health and participation rates; and (3) Organizational effects on employee health outcomes, perceived and participation rates vary by where the employees' resides and works, as it links to median income zip code census data, with employees residing and working in lower/medium income areas having the worst health outcomes, perceived health and participation rates, and best results with the highest income.;This longitudinal study had several layers of organizational effects on employee wellness in Southern California School Districts. The program impacted almost 10,000 employees, self-selecting a variety wellness options, such as wellness challenges, health screenings, coaching, incentives, and staff development workshops. Data collected yearly included: (a) objective health measurements, such as body mass index and systolic/diastolic blood pressure; (b) self-reported perceived health measurements, such as health, stress, energy, confidence, self-esteem, and body image; and (c) the type of interventions. The data was archival and collected from 2005 to 2012. |
