Implementation Outcomes Following Participation in a Large-Scale Healthy Workplace Program Conducted Across Multiple Worksites.

Purpose: To measure implementation outcomes of a freely available workplace health promotion program (Healthier Workplace Western Australia [HWWA]) that provides employees with services and supports to make changes in their workplaces.

Setting: Western Australian workplaces.

Subjects: Employees accessing HWWA services.

Intervention: A range of services (training sessions, tailored advice, grant schemes, online resources) were offered relating to nutrition, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and mental health.

Design/measures: Of the 1627 individuals e-mailed 6 months after participation in HWWA, 345 (21%) individuals who recalled accessing one or more services completed a survey assessing the number and type of changes they had implemented and the perceived barriers to doing so.

Analysis: Negative binomial regressions and one-way analysis of variances assessed whether respondent characteristics or number of services used was associated with the number and types of changes made. A qualitative analysis of the perceived barriers was also conducted.

Results: The majority of respondents (86%) reported implementing one or more changes. Greater perceived responsibility/authority to make change (β = .56, < .01), perceived support from coworkers (β = .23, < .05), and number of HWWA services used (β = .04, < .05) were positive predictors of the number of changes made. Frequently reported barriers included cost/budget restrictions, lack of management support, and resistance from staff.

Conclusion: The HWWA program facilitated implementation of various healthy workplace initiatives across the organizations represented in the evaluation.