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Worksite wellness program implementation: a model of translational effectiveness

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Translational Behavioral Medicine

ABSTRACT

Occupational health promotion programs with documented efficacy have not penetrated worksites. Establishing an implementation model would allow focusing on mediating aspects to enhance installation and use of evidence-based occupational wellness interventions. The purpose of the study was to implement an established wellness program in fire departments and define predictors of program exposure/dose to outcomes to define a cross-sectional model of translational effectiveness. The study is a prospective observational study among 12 NW fire departments. Data were collected before and following installation, and findings were used to conduct mediation analysis and develop a translational effectiveness model. Worker age was examined for its impact. Leadership, scheduling/competing demands, and tailoring were confirmed as model components, while organizational climate was not a factor. The established model fit data well (χ 2(9) = 25.57, CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.03). Older firefighters, nearing retirement, appeared to have influences that both enhanced and hindered participation. Findings can inform implementation of worksite wellness in fire departments, and the prioritized influences and translational model can be validated and manipulated in these and other settings to more efficiently move health promotion science to service.

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Acknowledgments

This study is funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research in Challenge Area (15): Translational Sciences and the Challenge Topic 15-NR-101* NIH Partners in Research Program: Pathways for Translational Research as 5RC1NR011793. PHLAME development, efficacy assessment and beta-testing have been supported by 5R01AR045901 and R01 CA105774. We greatly appreciate the assistance of Mary Eash, Jason Galvas, Hannah Kuehl, Gina Markel, Wendy McGinnis, and Shelley Moody.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road CR110, Portland, OR, 97239-3098, USA

    Diane L Elliot MD, Carol A DeFrancesco MA, Kerry S Kuehl MD, DrPH, Esther L Moe PhD, MPH & Linn Goldberg MD

  2. Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1104, USA

    David P MacKinnon PhD, Yasemin Kisbu-Sakarya MA & Stephany J Coxe PhD

  3. Department of Teaching & Learning, Washington State University Vancouver, Vancouver, WA, 98686-9600, USA

    Linda Mabry PhD

  4. Northwest Fire Fighter Fitness Foundation, P.O. Box 55262, Shoreline, WA, 98155-0262, USA

    Kim C Favorite BS

Authors
  1. Diane L Elliot MD
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  2. David P MacKinnon PhD
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  3. Linda Mabry PhD
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  5. Carol A DeFrancesco MA
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  6. Stephany J Coxe PhD
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  7. Kerry S Kuehl MD, DrPH
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  8. Esther L Moe PhD, MPH
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  9. Linn Goldberg MD
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  10. Kim C Favorite BS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Diane L Elliot MD.

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Implications

Practice: Knowledge about and attention to issues relating to leadership, competing demands, and tailoring will enhance uptake of occupational wellness programs and augment their positive outcomes.

Policy: Assessment of return on investment of worksite wellness programs also should consider issues that relate to implementation effectiveness.

Research: A mediation model for implementation effectiveness among worksites is presented, which can be manipulated and validated in other settings.

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Elliot, D.L., MacKinnon, D.P., Mabry, L. et al. Worksite wellness program implementation: a model of translational effectiveness. Behav. Med. Pract. Policy Res. 2, 228–235 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-012-0121-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-012-0121-z

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