Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2021-09-28
The BELE program: The development of a holistic interdisciplinary health-promoting program enhancing work-life balance among female employees working in human service organizations in Sweden
Despite an increase in work-life balance literature, the development of successful support to help employees manage their work -life balance is slow. Moreover, there are few interventions with a comprehensive approach to workplace health promotion focusing on work-life balance.
OBJECTIVE:
This paper aims to present the development and building blocks of a holistic interdisciplinary health-promoting program, the BELE program, to enhance female employees working in human service organizations health and well-being with a focus on work-life balance.
METHODS:
The planning and development of the program was done through an intervention mapping and research circles methodology.
RESULTS:
The planning- and development process of the program resulted in a theoretical framework, and a program structure with a program content. The intervention program was named “The Balance in Everyday Life Empowerment program” (BELE program).
CONCLUSIONS:
The BELE program adds to the existing body of work-life balance knowledge, so far often based on a conflict approach. Interventions focusing on a comprehensive approach to health and work-life balance with a salutogenic approach are rare. Furthermore, the integration with occupational therapy and health promotion in a workplace health promotion framework is innovative. In a previous study, the BELE program has shown that it enhances women’s well-being and balance in their everyday life.
SimMR. The COVID-19 pandemic: major risks to healthcare and other workers on the front line. Occup Environ Med. 2020;77(5):281–2.
8.
VizhehM, QorbaniM, ArzaghiSM, MuhidinS, JavanmardZ, EsmaeiliM. The mental health of healthcare workers in the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2020;26:1–12.
9.
BaeJ, JenningsPF, HardemanCP, KimE, LeeM, LittletonT, SaasaS. Compassion Satisfaction Among Social Work Practitioners: The Role of Work–Life Balance. J Soc Serv Res. 2020;46(3):320–30.
10.
AFA försäkring. Psykiska diagnoser i kontaktyrken inom vårdrd, skola och omsorg. (Mental diagnoses in contact careers in health care, schools and social care). [homepage on the internet] Stockholm: AFA. 2015. [cited 2017 mars 20] Available from: https://www.afaforsakring.se/.../f6345-psykiskadiagnoser.pdf.
11.
HolmgrenK, Dahlin-IvanoffS, BjörkelundC, HensingG. The prevalence of work-related stress, and its association with self-perceived health and sick-leave, in a population of employed Swedish women. BMC Public Health. . 2009;2(9):73.
12.
AnderzénI, LindbergP, KarlssonT, StrömbergA, GustafssonS. Predictors of Wellbeing at work. Eur J Public Health. 2015;25(3).
13.
ZhengC, MolineuxJ, MirshekaryS, ScarparoS. Developing individual and organisational work-life balance strategies to improve employee health and wellbeing. Employee Relations. 2015;37(3):354–79.
14.
van SteenbergenE, EllemersN. Is managing the work–family interface worthwhile? Benefits for employee health and performance. J Organ Behav. 2009;30(5):617–42.
15.
HaarJ, RussoM, SuñeA, Ollier-MalaterreA. Outcomes of work–life balance on job satisfaction, life satisfaction and mental health: A study across seven cultures. J Vocat Behav. 2014;85(3):361–73.
16.
WealeVP, WellsY, OakmanJ. The relationship between workplace characteristics and work ability in residential aged care: What is the role of work-life interaction?J Adv Nurs. 2019;75(7):1427–38.
17.
BaeJ, JenningsPF, HardemanCP, KimE, LeeM, LittletonT, SaasaS. Compassion Satisfaction Among Social Work Practitioners: The Role of Work–Life Balance. J Soc Serv Res. 2020;46(3):320–30.
18.
RigbyM, O’Brien-SmithF. (2010). Trade union interventions in work-life balance. Work Employ Soc. 2010;24.
19.
DeeryM. Talent management, work-life balance and retention strategies. Int J Hosp Manag. 2008;20:792–806.
20.
ShagvaliyevaS, YazdanifardR. Impact on Flexible Working Hours on Work Life Balance. Am J Ind Bus Manage. 2014;4:20–3.
21.
AgostiMT, AnderssonI, EjlertssonG, JanlövAC. Shift work to balance everyday life - a salutogenic nursing perspective in home help service in Sweden. BMC Nurs. 2015;14(1):2.
22.
AgostiMT, BringsénÅ, AnderssonI. The complexity of resources related to work-life balance and well-being - a survey among municipality employees in Sweden. Int J Hum Resour Manag. 2017;28(16):2351–74.
23.
BourneK, WilsonF, LesterS, KickulJ. Embracing the whole individual: Advantages of a dual-centric perspective of work and life. Bus Horiz. 2009;52:387–98.
24.
Jiménez-MéridaMR, Romero-SaldañaM, Molina-LuqueR, Molina-RecioG, Meneses-MonroyA, De Diego-CorderoR, Vaquero-AbellánM. Women-centred workplace health promotion interventions: a systematic review. Int Nurs Rev. 2020;3.
25.
HorriganJM, LightfootNE, LariviereMAS, JacklinK. Evaluating and improving nurses’ health and quality of work life. Workplace Health Saf. 2013;61:173–81.
26.
AgostiMT, AnderssonI, BringsénÅ, JanlövAC. “The importance of awareness, support and inner strength to balance everyday life” - a qualitative study about women’s experiences of a workplace health promotion program in human service organizations in Sweden. BMC Womens Health. 2019;19(1):7.
27.
BartholomewL, ParcelG, KokG, GottliebN. Planning health promotion programs an Intervention Mapping Approach. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass; 2011.
28.
HolmstrandL, HärnstenG, LöwstedstJ. The Research Circle Approach. A Democratic Form for Collaborative Research in Organization. In Shani A, Mohrman S, Pasmore W, Stymne B, Adler N, editors. Handbook of Collaborative Management Research. California: Sage Publications; 2008. pp. 183.
29.
ChangA, McDonaldP, BurtonP. Methodological choices in work-life balance research to a critical review. Int J Hum Resour Manag. 2010;21(13):2381–413.
30.
TonesK, GreenJ. Health promotion: planning and strategies. London: SAGE; 2010.
31.
ErlandssonLK. The Redesigning Daily Occupations (ReDO)-Program: Supporting Women With Stress-Related Disorders to Return to Work- Knowledge Base, Structure, and Content. Occup Ther Mental Health.. 2013;29(1):85–101.
ErlandssonLK, RögnvaldssonT, EklundM. Recognition of similarities (ROS): A methodological approach to analysing and characterising patterns of daily occupations. J Occup Sci. 2004;11(1):3–13.
34.
ErlandssonLK, EklundM. The relationships of hassles and uplifts to experience of health in working women. Women Health. 2003;38(4):19–37.
35.
ThibeaultR, HerbertM. A congruent model for health promotion in occupational therapy. Occup Ther Int. 1997;4:271–93.
36.
ReitzS, ScaffaM, PizziM. Occupational Therapy Conceptual Models for Health Promotion Practice. In Scaffa M, Reitz S, Pizzi M, editors. Occupational Therapy in the Promotion of Health and Wellness. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company; 2010. pp. 22.
37.
NutbeamD. Health promotion glossary. Health Promot Int. 1998;13:349–64.
38.
WHO. Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. First International Conference on Health Promotion, Ottawa 17-21 November, Copenhagen:WHORegional Office for Europe: 1986.
39.
BauerG, DaviesJK, PelikanJ. The EUHPID Health Development Model for the classification of public health indicators. Health Promot Int. 2006;21(2):153–9.
40.
AntonovskyA. The salutogenic model as a theory to guide health promotion. Health Promot Int. 1996;11:11–8.
41.
Karasek and Theorell. Healthy work: Stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of working life. New York: Basic Books; 1990.
42.
MarksR, MacDermidM. Multiple roles and the self: A theory of role balance. J Marriage Fam. 1996;2:417–32.
43.
CsikszentmihalyiM. Finding flow. The psychology of engagement with everyday life. New York: HarperCollins Publishers; 1997.
44.
FredricksonBL. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2004;359(1449):1367–78.
45.
MatuskaK, ChristiansenC. A Proposed Model of Lifestyle Balance. J Occup Sci. 2008;15(1):9–19.
46.
OlanderE, RingsbergC, TillgrenP. ediors. Health literacy -Theory and practice in health promotion (In Swedish). Lund: Studentlitteratur; 2014. pp. 47.
47.
ShiltsMK, HorowitzM, TownsendMS. Goal setting as a strategy for dietary and physical activity behavior change: a review of the literature. Am J Health Promot. 2004;19(2):81–93.
48.
ReitzS, ScaffaM. Public Health Principles, Approaches, and Initiatives. In Scaffa, M., Reitz, S., & Pizzi, M, editors. Occupational Therapy in the Promotion of Health and Wellness. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company; 2010. pp. 70.
49.
GragnanoA, SimbulaS, MigliorettiM. Work-Life Balance: Weighing the Importance of Work-Family and Work-Health Balance. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(3):907.
50.
KelliherC, RichardsonJ, Boiarintseva. All of work? All of Life? Reconceptualising work-life balance for the 21st century. Hum Resour Manag J. 2019;29:97–112.
51.
EklundM, ErlandssonLK. Quality of life and client satisfaction as outcomes of the Redesigning Daily Occupations (ReDO) programme for women with stress-related disorders: a comparative study. Work. 2013;46(1):51–8.
52.
GlasgowRE, LichtensteinE, MarcusAC. Why don’t we see more translation of health promotion research to practice? Rethinking the efficacy-to-effectiveness transition. Am J Public Health. 2003;93(8):1261–7.
53.
RojatzD, MerchantA, NitschM. Factors influencing workplace health promotion intervention: a qualitative systematic review. Health Promot Int. 2017;32(5):831–9.
