Title
Costs, benefits and effectiveness of worksite physical activity counseling from the employer's perspective
Author
TNO Preventie en Gezondheid
Proper, K.I.
de Bruyne, M.C.
Hildebrandt, V.H.
van der Beek, A.J.
Meerding, W.J.
van Mechelen, W.
Publication year
2004
Abstract
Objectives. This study evaluated the impact of worksite physical activity counseling using cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses. Methods. Civil servants (N=299) were randomly assigned to an intervention (N=131) or control (N=168) group for 9 months. The intervention costs were compared with the monetary benefits gained from reduced sick leave. In addition, the intervention costs minus the monetary benefits from sick leave reduction were compared with the effects (percentage meeting the public health recommendation for moderate-intensity physical activity, energy expenditure, cardiorespiratory fitness, and upper extremity symptoms). Results. The intervention costs were EUR 430 per participant, and the benefits were EUR 125 due to sick leave during the intervention period, for net total costs of EUR 305 for the intervention. During the same 9-month period the year after the intervention, the benefits from sick leave reduction were EUR 635. No statistically significant differences in costs and benefits were found between the groups. As to the cost-effectiveness, improvement in energy expenditure and cardiorespiratory fitness was observed at higher costs. The point estimates of the cost-effectiveness ratios were EUR 5.2 (without imputation of effect data) and EUR 2.7 (with imputation of effect data) per extra kilocalorie of energy expenditure per day and EUR 235 (without imputation of effect data) and EUR 45.9 (with imputation of effect data) per beat per minute of decrease in submaximal heart rate. Conclusions. This study does not provide a financial reason for implementing worksite counseling intervention on physical activity on the short-term. However, positive effects were shown for energy expenditure and cardiorespiratory fitness. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Subject
Veilig en Gezond Werken
Absenteeism from work
Efficiency
Financial impact
Intervention
Physical fitness
Randomized controlled trial
Workplace
Health status
Absenteeism
Controlled study
Cost benefit analysis
Cost effectiveness analysis
Counseling
Economic evaluation
Employer
Energy expenditure
Fitness
Occupational disease
Physical activity
Public health service
Randomization
Sensitivity analysis
Statistical analysis
Adult
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Counseling
Employer Health Costs
Energy Metabolism
Exercise
Female
Health Priorities
Health Promotion
Heart Rate
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Netherlands
Occupational Health Services
Program Evaluation
Sick Leave
Upper Extremity
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:d5c5749e-5859-40fd-b61b-85702da72587
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.763
TNO identifier
237607
ISSN
0355-3140
Source
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 30 (30), 36-46
Document type
article