Work Health Promotion, Job Well-Being, and Sickness Absences: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The aim of this systematic literature analysis was to study the association between work health promotion and job well-being, work ability, absenteeism, and early retirement. This systematic review is a part of a large research project studying multiple workplace factors and interventions that may affect workers' health and well-being

For this systematic review, researchers utilized articles published from 1970 to 2005. These articles provided moderate evidence that evidence that work health promotion decreases sickness absences and work ability. Workplace health promotion also increases mental well-being. When workplace health promotion encourages exercise, it seems to increase overall well-being and work ability. This also results in sickness absences to be reduced by activities promoting healthy lifestyle and ergonomics.

The finding that workplace health promotion seems to affect mental well-being is encouraging as mental health concerns cause substantial work impairments. The authors state that workplace health promotion is valuable on employees' well-being and work ability and productivity in terms of less sickness related absences. Activities involving exercise, lifestyle, and ergonomics are potentially effective. Work health promotion should target both physical and psychosocial environments at work.

Reference: Kuoppala, Jaana, et al. “Work Health Promotion, Job Well-Being, and Sickness: €A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, vol. 50, no. 11, 2008, pp. 1216–1227., doi:10.1097/jom.0b013e31818dbf92