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WorkHealth Checks: Some Preliminary Results- The WorkHealth check is a quick, confidential health assessment delivered in the workplace. In 15 minutes, participants learn about the state of their health, and in particular their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Delivered by trained health professionals, WorkHealth checks include a brief lifestyle survey together with measurement of blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and waist circumference.
- Workers receive immediate results and advice about their risk of chronic disease, as well as information on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Those identified as being at increased risk of chronic disease are advised to visit their GP, and are also given access to funded lifestyle programs.
100,000 WorkHealth checks: analysis of results
From 1 July 2009 to 29 March 2010, 100,000 workers from a broad range of industries received a WorkHealth check as part of the WorkHealth program. Analysis of these checks shows the following results.
Risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
- 1% (832 workers) had one or more results indicating a very high risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease and were advised to see a GP within 24 hours of their WorkHealth check.
- 39% of workers had one or more results indicating a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
- 48% of male workers were found to have a high or very high risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, as compared with 32% of females.
Self assessment of health
Results for worker self assessment of their own health included:
- 20% of men who thought their health was “very good” or “excellent” were actually at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
- 14% of women who thought their health was “very good” or “excellent” were actually at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
Biomedical and lifestyle risk factors
- Males were also more likely than females to have elevated blood pressure, drink alcohol at risky levels, eat less than the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables, and smoke.
- However, females were more likely than males to have a waist measurement indicating a greatly increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
The most common biomedical risk factors among those tested were:
- 38% had low levels of HDL cholesterol (commonly known as ‘good’ cholesterol)
- 25% had a waist measurement indicating a greatly increased risk of type 2 diabetes
- 21% had elevated blood pressure
- 17% had elevated readings of random blood sugar
The most commonly reported lifestyle risks included:
- 93% reported eating less than the daily recommended intake of fruit and vegetables (i.e. less then five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit per day)
- 73% reported inadequate physical exercise (i.e. less than 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day)
- 38% reported risky levels of alcohol consumption
- 17% of those tested were smokers
Note: workers are likely to consider a number of aspects of their health in their self-assessment which are not related to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk. In the questionnaire, workers are asked: “In general, is your health excellent / very good / good / fair / poor.”
