Effects of Environmental Interventions on Obesity Prevention and Absenteeism in a Large U.S. Company

Research objective: To understand the additive impact of worksite environmental interventions (designed to increase physical activity and encourage healthy eating), compared to individually focused interventions alone, in controlling overweight and obesity and in reducing employee absenteeism.

With support from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), environmental weight management interventions were implemented in 12 worksites at The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) in 2006-2007. Five sites received intense weight management interventions (individual + environmental + management commitment programs), four sites received moderate interventions (individual + environmental programs), and three control sites received Dow's standard individual programs.

We restricted this sample to Fair Labor Standards Act non-exempt employees for whom absenteeism data were more reliable (n = 5,997). Of these, 4,656 received intense or moderate interventions and 1,341 received the standard intervention only.

For the moderate or intense intervention employees, the average days absent due to illness per year decreased from 3.9 days in 2006 to 3.4 days in 2007 (p= 0.7175). Average days lost due to illness at the standard sites increased from 2.8 days to 3.8 days (p=<0.0001). Using a difference-in-difference comparison, average absenteeism days at the moderate or intense sites was 1.5 days lower than at the standard sites between 2006 and 2007 (p<0.0001). Cost savings due to reduced absenteeism were estimated at $414.90 per employee per year (p<0.0001).

Environmental and individual weight management interventions combined may be more effective in achieving business related outcomes such as employee absenteeism among non-exempt employees than individual weight management interventions alone.