Building the Worksite Wellness Foundation Infrastructure: A Critical Component of the WorkWell KS Strategic Framework.

Abstract

Development of infrastructure for successful and sustained health initiatives in the workplace has been recommended, yet not all components have been studied together. This paper evaluates these practices as a combined set of recommendations for those interested in improving the health of their worksite. Objective Workplace health programs can be ineffective, and changes are likely to be temporary without first establishing a wellness infrastructure. This study sought to determine whether attending a WorkWell KS Building the Worksite Wellness Foundation (Foundation) workshop enabled worksites to develop this infrastructure. Methods Survey data were collected from worksites before attending a workshop and approximately 1 year later. Survey items were designed to assess whether the worksite was implementing best practices. Results In total, 212 worksites participated in a workshop and completed both a baseline and follow-up assessments. At follow-up, more worksites reported having a wellness committee (89.6% vs 59.7%, P < 0.001) and having wellness committee duties included in position descriptions (26.2% vs 6.4%, P < 0.001). Conclusions This study suggests that Foundation workshops can support worksites’ implementation of best practices to establish worksite wellness infrastructure.