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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03167658

The Impact of Employee Wellness Programs

There is great public and private interest in the use of workplace wellness programs to reduce health care spending, improve health outcomes, and enhance productivity for employees. However, there is little rigorous evidence on the effects of wellness programs. This study partners with a large multi-state U.S. employer (BJ's Wholesale Club) and an experienced wellness vendor (Wellness Workdays) to evaluate a multi-prong workplace wellness program, including components such as nutrition counseling, fitness challenges, and stress management workshops. The wellness program will be delivered by a team of experts including Registered Dieticians, and will include financial rewards for participation. The program will be available to employees in initially 20 of BJ's 200 worksites, and later expanded to 25 worksites. These worksites have been randomly selected, allowing a randomized controlled trial evaluation of the effects of the wellness program. Data will be collected on a wide array of outcomes from multiple sources, including on-site biometric screenings and surveys, employment records, and health insurance claims for employees at both treatment and control worksites.

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Key information

Conditions

Health Behavior Behavior Chronic Disease Disease Attributes Disease, Chronic Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Employed in one of BJ's clubs during the period of the intervention

Exclusion criteria

  • Not employed in one of BJ's clubs during the period of the intervention

Treatment and study plan

Workplace wellness program

Behavioral

Multi-prong workplace wellness program, with components such as nutrition counseling, fitness challenges, and stress management workshops, including supports and incentives.

Primary outcomes

  1. Physical activity

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Regular exercise, number of hours sitting per day, and actively managing weight, as indicated in responses to survey questions

  2. Obesity

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Body Mass Index>=30, calculated from measured height and weight

  3. Absenteeism

    Time frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention

    Number of sick or personal days as a share of total days employed, from employment records

  4. Health care spending

    Time frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention

    Dollars spent on health care for employees covered by employer-sponsored insurance, from claims records

Other outcomes

  1. Blood pressure

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Systolic blood pressure, measured

  2. Depression

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Unmanaged depression, as indicated in responses to survey questions

  3. Tenure

    Time frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention

    Duration of employment in days, from employment records

  4. Job performance

    Time frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention

    Numerical performance rating from annual review, from employment records

  5. Health care spending (i.e. dollars spent)

    Time frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention

    Dollars spent on health care and prescription drugs for employees covered by employer-sponsored insurance, decomposed into spending on inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, and prescription drugs, from claims records

  6. Health care utilization (i.e. number of doctor visits, hospitalizations, or medications)

    Time frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention

    Health care encounters and prescription drugs for employees covered by employer-sponsored insurance, decomposed into inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, and prescription drugs, from claims records

  7. Nutrition management

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Affirmative engagement in active efforts to improve nutrition, as indicated in responses to survey questions

  8. Stress management

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Unmanaged stress and stress at work, as indicated in responses to survey questions

  9. Screenings and exams

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Percent of recommended tests received, as indicated in responses to survey questions

  10. Tobacco use

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Smoking, as indicated in responses to survey questions

  11. Health and wellbeing

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Short form 8 (SF-8) physical and mental summary scores, as indicated in responses to survey questions. Each question of the SF-8 uses a 5- or 6-point Likert scale. Its standardized scoring system combines responses into a score that can be interpreted as a continuous variable (analogous to a 0-100 scale), with higher scores denoting better self-reported health.

  12. Blood glucose

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Blood glucose, measured

  13. Cholesterol

    Time frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

    Total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), measured

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Other

Collaborators

  • Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab
  • National Institute on Aging (NIA)
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • University of Chicago

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2021
First posted
May 30, 2017
Registry last updated
Sep 9, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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