Skip to main content

Ferrari Corporate Wellness Program: Results of a Pilot Analysis and the “Drag” Impact in the Workplace

High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention volume 25, pages 261–266 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Introduction

Preventive strategies based on advice and interventions on lifestyle habits represent the most powerful resource available to reduce the burden of cardiovascular (CV) diseases. Workplace represents an unmissable context for lifestyle changes at population level.

Aim

To evaluate the mid-term efficacy of a corporate wellness program in a cohort of healthy and physically active employees of the Ferrari car manufacturer.

Methods

A corporate wellness program, named “Ferrari Formula Benessere”, was proposed to adult individuals working in a Ferrari car company at Maranello, Modena (Italy). Employees who voluntarily agreed to the program received healthy nutritional advice and were trained three times a week (60 min per session), and periodically re-evaluated during a 4-year follow-up period.

Results

Among the 719 Ferrari employees that joined the program, 168 (23%) subjects (88.5% males, age 30.8 ± 5.9 years) were considered the most active participants, based on a self-administered standardized questionnaire, and included in the study. A relevant improvement of several CV risk factors (body mass index, total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure) and cardio-respiratory fitness parameters (estimated VO2max, Wattpeak, METs) was observed compared to baseline values. Furthermore, it was recorded a clear “drag effect” towards non-participating and sedentary peers, resulting in a 90% adherence increase over the years.

Conclusions

The “Ferrari Formula Benessere” corporate wellness project proved to be effective in improving CV risk profile and cardio-respiratory fitness in a population of already physically active employees.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1

References

  1. McGinnis JM, Foege WH. Actual causes of death in the United States. JAMA. 1993;270:2207–12.

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Cahalin LP, Myers J, Kaminsky L, et al. Current trends in reducing cardiovascular risk factors in the United States: focus on worksite health and wellness. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2014;56:476–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Malik S, Lopez V, Chen R, et al. Undertreatment of cardiovascular risk factors among persons with diabetes in the United States. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2007;77:126–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Myers J. Physical activity: the missing prescription. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2005;12:85–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjöström M, et al. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003;35(8):1381–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Goetzel RZ, Anderson DR, Whitmer W, et al. Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO) Research Committee. The relationship between modifiable health risks and health care expenditures: an analysis of the multi-employer HERO health risk and cost database. Occup Environ Med. 1998;40(10):843–54.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Piepoli MF, Hoes AW, Agewall S, et al. European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice: the Sixth Joint Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and Other Societies on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice (constituted by representatives of 10 societies and by invited experts): Developed with the special contribution of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation (EACPR). Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2016;23(11):NP1–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Verdile L, Maron BJ, Pelliccia A, et al. Clinical significance of exercise-induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias in trained athletes without cardiovascular abnormalities. Heart Rhythm. 2015;12(1):78–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2014.09.009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Health-related physical fitness testing and interpretation. In: Pescatello LS, Arena R, Riebe D, Thompson PD, American College of Sports Medicine, editors. ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health; 2014. p. 60–107.

  10. Pollock ML. Exercise in health and disease: evaluation and prescription for the prevention and rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders; 1990. p. 741.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Volpe R, Nati G, Chiriatti A, Sabatini M, Valente F, Gruppo Progetto DATAMeg. Hypertriglyceridemia, an underestimated cardiovascular risk factor: an epidemiological study of the Rome Area. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. 2017;24(4):401–4.

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Ni Mhurchu C, Aston LM, Jebb SA. Effects of worksite health promotion interventions on employee diets: a systematic review. BMC Public Health. 2010;10:62.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Groeneveld IF, Proper KI, van der Beek AJ, et al. Lifestyle-focused interventions at the workplace to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease—a systematic review. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2010;36:202–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Myers J, Prakash M, Froelicher V, et al. Exercise capacity and mortality among men referred for exercise testing. N Engl J Med. 2002;346(11):793–801.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kodama S, Saito K, Tanaka S, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness as a quantitative predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in healthy men and women: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2009;301(19):2024–35. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.681.

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Korpelainen R, Lämsä J, Kaikkonen KM, et al. Exercise capacity and mortality—a follow-up study of 3033 subjects referred to clinical exercise testing. Ann Med. 2016;48(5):359–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2016.1178856.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Hogstrom G, Nordstrom A, Nordstrom P. High aerobic fitness in late adolescence is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction later in life: a nationwide cohort study in men. Eur Heart J. 2014;35(44):3133–40. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/eht527.

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Borghi C, Dormi A, L’Italien G, et al. The relationship between systolic blood pressure and cardiovascular risk—results of the Brisighella Heart Study. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2003;5(1):47–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Cicero AF, Rosticci M, D’Addato S, Baronio C, Grossi G, Grandi E, Borghi C. Population health needs assessment and healthcare services use in a 3 years follow-up on administrative and clinical data: results from the Brisighella Heart Study. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. 2014;21(1):45–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Owen N, Bauman A, Brown W. Too much sitting: a novel and important predictor of chronic disease risk? Br J Sports Med. 2009;43:81–3.

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Volpe M, On behalf of the SIPREC Writing Committee, et al. Documento di Consenso e raccomandazioni per la prevenzione cardiovascolare in Italia 2018. G Ital Cardiol. 2018;19(2 Suppl. 1):1S–95S.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Goetzel RZ, Ozminkowski RJ. The health and cost benefits of work site health-promotion programs. Annu Rev Public Health. 2008;29:303–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. VanderVeur J, Gilchrist S, Matson-Koffman D. An overview of state policies supporting worksite health promotion programs. Am J Health Promot. 2017;31(3):232–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Carnethon M, Whitsel LP, Franklin BA, et al. American Heart Association Advocacy Coordinating Committee; Council on Epidemiology and Prevention; Council on the Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease; Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism. Worksite wellness programs for cardiovascular disease prevention: a policy statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2009;120(17):1725–41.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Harte K, Mahieu K, Mallett D, et al. Improving workplace productivity-it isn’t just about reducing absence. Benefits Q. 2011;27(3):13–26.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Med-Ex, Medicine & Exercise, Medical Partner Scuderia Ferrari, Via Vittorio Veneto 108, 00186, Rome, Italy

    Alessandro Biffi, Fredrick Fernando, Paolo Emilio Adami, Michele Messina, Felice Sirico & Fernando Di Paolo

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Claudio Borghi

  3. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Flavio D’Ascenzi

  4. IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy

    Roberta Coluccia & Massimo Volpe

  5. Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant’Andrea Hospital University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Massimo Volpe

Authors
  1. Alessandro Biffi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fredrick Fernando
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Paolo Emilio Adami
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michele Messina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Felice Sirico
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Fernando Di Paolo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Roberta Coluccia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Claudio Borghi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Flavio D’Ascenzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Massimo Volpe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alessandro Biffi.

Ethics declarations

Funding

None.

Conflict of interest

No financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work. AB and FF are consultant for the Ferrari Formula Benessere program.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain data derived by any current studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. The clinical studies mentioned were provided with specific ethical approval.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Biffi, A., Fernando, F., Adami, P.E. et al. Ferrari Corporate Wellness Program: Results of a Pilot Analysis and the “Drag” Impact in the Workplace. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev 25, 261–266 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-018-0266-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-018-0266-z

Keywords:

  • Cardiovascular risk
  • Lifestyle physical activity
  • Workplace
  • Prevention programs
  • Corporate wellness
  • Cardio-respiratory fitness