Effective health screening – the foundation of success

If the demographic makeup of your workforce even slightly resembles that of the adult Danish population, there is enormous potential to make a difference in your employees’ health—and, not least, for society as a whole. An initial health screening is the logical first step on the journey toward a healthier workplace.

A health initiative makes sense

If we assume that the composition of your workforce is similar to that of the general adult Danish population, then

• 20% of your employees have high blood pressure
• About 50% have high cholesterol
• 15% have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
• 13.9% are smokers
• 58.1% do not meet the minimum recommendations for physical activity
• more than half are overweight or obese
• Only 14.6% said they have healthy eating habits.

(The figures are taken from the Danish Heart Association, the Danish Diabetes Association, and the National Health Profile)
Most people know whether they smoke or are overweight, but they only find out if their cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar is too high once it has been measured. The figures above naturally vary depending on the composition of the workforce in terms of age, gender, and length of education.

Diet is a good place to start—but it requires coaching and getting used to

Due diligence

Early identification of at-risk employees gives the company an opportunity to take timely action through workplace health promotion. A health screening helps identify employees who are at risk of developing—or have already developed—conditions such as lifestyle-related diseases.

Using simple methods such as interviews, questionnaires, fingerstick blood tests, and blood pressure monitors, it is easy to identify potential health problems and better target efforts and resources.

Health screenings alone do not have a significant impact on workplace health, but in cases where undiagnosed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar—conditions that require treatment—are detected, a health checkup naturally has an effect, provided that the employee seeks treatment.

Health promotion interventions

The suggestions below are classic areas of focus and solutions that can be effectively implemented following the health screening.

The Diet

If a company wants to promote healthy food choices in the workplace, this can typically be achieved through employee training and coaching, implementing policies to limit unhealthy options, using nudging techniques, and making healthier alternatives more accessible.

Tobacco

Workplaces can support smoking cessation through individual or group counseling interventions, the provision of nicotine replacement therapy, and the implementation of smoke-free policies.

Physical activity

Create environments that facilitate and encourage physical activity and micro-workouts in the form of simple, short strength training sessions with colleagues.

By Henrik Duer, exercise physiologist – visit my website here.

Thanks to Lars L. Andersen, Professor of Healthy Work Life at the National Research Center for the Working Environment (NFA).