Health affairs
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Health And Economic Outcomes Up To Three Years After A Workplace Wellness Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Workplace wellness programs aim to improve employee health and lower health care spending. Recent randomized studies have found modest short-run effects on health behaviors, but longer-run effects remain poorly understood. We analyzed a clustered randomized trial of a workplace wellness program implemented at a large multisite US employer. ⋯ At the end of three years, employees at the treatment worksites had better self-reported health behaviors, including a higher rate of actively managing their weight. No significant differences were found in self-reported health; clinical markers of health; health care spending or use; or absenteeism, tenure, or job performance. Improvements in health behaviors after three years were similar to those at eighteen months, but the longer follow-up did not yield detectable improvements in clinical, economic, or employment outcomes.