Strategies to improve the implementation of workplace-based policies or practices targeting tobacco, alcohol, diet, physical activity and obesity (Review)

Wolfenden L, Goldman S, Stacey FG, Grady A, Kingsland M, Williams CM, Wiggers J, Milat A, Rissel C, Bauman A, Farrell MM, Légaré F, Ben Charif A, Zomahoun HTV, Hodder RK, Jones J, Booth D, Parmenter B (2018)

Cochrane - DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012439.pub2.

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Evidence Categories

• Care setting: Workplace setting
• Population group: General Population
• Population group: General population
• Intervention: Policy/environmental: Labelling
• Intervention: Intra-/Inter-personal: Multicomponent programme in-person
• Intervention: Policy / environmental: Availability
• Intervention: Policy / environmental: Policy actions
• Intervention: Combined: Workplace policy, environment change, education and behavioural support
• Outcome: Healthy Eating: Energy intake
• Outcome: Healthy Eating: Fruit and veg intake
• Outcome: Healthy Eating: Fibre intake
• Outcome: Healthy Eating: Fat intake

Type of Evidence

Systematic Review

Aims

The authors state:

• "To assess the effects of strategies for improving the implementation of workplace-based policies or practices targeting diet, physical activity, obesity, tobacco use and alcohol use."
• "Secondary objectives were to assess the impact of such strategies on employee health behaviours, including dietary intake, physical activity, weight status, and alcohol and tobacco use; evaluate their cost-effectiveness; and identify any unintended adverse effects of implementation strategies on workplaces or workplace staff."

Findings

The authors state:

• "Six trials, four of which took place in the USA:" 
• "Four trials employed randomised controlled trial (RCT) designs." 
• "Workplace policies and practices targeted included: healthy catering policies; point-of-purchase nutrition labelling; environmental supports for healthy eating and physical activity; tobacco control policies; weight management programmes; and adherence to guidelines for staff health promotion." 
• "Three trials examined the impact of implementation strategies on employee health behaviours, reporting mixed effects for diet and weight status (very low certainty evidence)."

Conclusions

The authors state:

"Available evidence regarding the effectiveness of implementation strategies for improving implementation of health-promoting policies and practices in the workplace setting is sparse and inconsistent."