Is workplace health promotion research in the Nordic countries really on the right track?

Abstract

Aims: The aims of this scoping review of research on workplace health promotion interventions in the Nordic countries were to investigate: how the studies defined health; whether the studies intended to change the workplace itself (the settings approach); and whether the research focus regarding their definitions of health and use of settings approaches has changed in the past five-year period versus previous times. Methods: Using scientific literature databases, we searched for intervention studies labelled as “health promotion” in an occupational setting in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) published from 1986 to 2014. We identified 63 publications and qualitatively analysed their content regarding health outcomes and their use of settings approaches. Results: The reviewed studies focused primarily on preventing disease rather than promoting positive measures of health. In addition, most studies did not try to change the workplace but rather used the workplace as a convenient setting for reaching people to change their behaviour related to lifestyles and disease prevention. Participatory and non-participatory settings approaches to promote well-being and other positive health measures have been used to a minor degree. The recent studies’ definitions of health and use of settings approaches did not differ much from the studies published earlier. Conclusions: Workplace health promotion in the Nordic countries should more often include positive health measures and settings approaches in intervention research. It is important to anchor workplace health promotion among important stakeholders such as unions and employers by arguing that sustainable production is dependent on workers’ health.