Researchers from the Mayo Clinic have determined that employer-based health interventions may be effective in improving some health behaviors, according to the results of research recently published in Scientific Reports.
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The researchers studied employees at their own facility; the Mayo Clinic is the largest private employer in the state of Minnesota, with 32,347 employees. In 1995, the Mayo Clinic opened a wellness facility that was designed to provide members with a wide range of programs and services. Employees and their adult dependents were eligible for membership. In 2007, a brand-new, state-of-the-art wellness facility opened in a new building.
Researchers surveyed Mayo Clinic employees in 1996 and again from 2007 through 2010, looking at obesity, regular exercise, cardiovascular activity, and smoking status.
While obesity rates increased over time in both members and nonmembers of the wellness facility (consistent with national trends), members had a lower prevalence of cigarette smoking (9.7% vs. 17.3% in 2010), as well as higher rates of regular exercise and cardiovascular exercise. “Employer-based interventions may be effective in improving some health behaviors,” the researchers concluded.