An exploratory study assessing the perceived health and workplace health promotion needs of Monroe county employees

Abstract

Monroe County local government does not provide a workplace health promotion program to its employees. In 2015, health are costs increased, as the county insurance provider spent $1.42 per every $1 spent on insurance premiums. This increase was primarily due to cancer treatments, heart disease, and diabetes. This descriptive exploratory study assessed the health risk, protective factors, perceived health needs of Monroe County employees, the interventions that are most likely to improve their health and the currently-available and potential resources in Monroe County that could be used to increase health promotion efforts for Monroe County employees. Major findings suggest that creating a workplace culture that emphasizes the importance of living a healthy lifestyle should be a priority before implementing a workplace health promotion program. Future programming should focus on reducing the body mass index of employees, build upon protective factors in which employees are currently engaged, and increase employee readiness to change poor health behaviors and factors.