Interventions To Minimize Chronic Diseases In The Workplace

Post date: Mar 08, 2018 10:45:3 AM

Chronic diseases are a leading cause of death in the United States, with figures showing that approximately half of Americans are afflicted, and a fourth experiencing their residual effects. Certain segments of the population are also more prone to these diseases than others. Specifically, minority groups and lower income brackets have been shown most vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases and cancers.

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The workplace naturally and significantly contributes to predispositions to chronic diseases, as most of Americans’ waking hours are spent there. However, the workplace is as much a hotbed of risk factors as it is a site for solutions. Combatting chronic diseases involves the alteration of individual health behaviors, which workplace leaders and managers can oversee.

This is because the workplace itself should be a site of health promotion. For instance, a study surveying the health behaviors of Johnson & Johnson employees between 1995 and 2010 reveals that the percentage of smokers in the workplace had declined by more than two-thirds, and physical inactivity reduced by half. These results were attributed to the will of management to promote health education on the effects of smoking, weight management, stress management, and physical fitness. The program had another undeniable upside for the company. Its health care costs were also radically reduced.

Such might be a rosy example, but a principle must not be overlooked. It is that individual behaviors cannot be controlled.

However, organizations have a bearing on collective health consciousness. Moreover, when it comes to chronic diseases, risk factors can be controlled. Exposure to hazardous elements in the workplace must be strictly eliminated, as should be work-related and disease-inducing conditions such as high demands and inflexible work schedules.

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Summarily, while individual behaviors account for many of the leading causes of chronic diseases, and these cannot be completely altered, employers can still be proactive in ensuring the health of their workers.

Captain Martin Lloyd Sanders is an officer of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and has more than a decade of experience in the field of occupational safety and health. Learn more about Captain Sanders by clicking here.