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Abstract
Effectiveness and Benefit Measures of the Headquarters, Army Materiel Command
Health Promotion Program
1985-1989

A 44-month worksite health promotion program including program effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis was conducted at the Headquarters, Army Materiel Command (AMC).

The entire AMC staff comprised of military and civilian personnel was eligible to participate. About eighty-four percent of this group (N = 2,737) elected to enter this comprehensive program. Feedback from screening results and health risk appraisal assisted participants in choosing from a selection of six interventions, including fitness training, smoking cessation, nutrition, weight loss, relaxation, or stress management.

Participants were tested at program entry and followed-up at subsequent six-month intervals for health risk changes. Additionally, absenteeism, productivity, and health care claims were examined for changes associated with program participation. It was hypothesized that program participation would be associated with reductions in health risk, absenteeism, and health care, but an increase in productivity. Except for a lack of health care claims reduction, analyses supported each of the other three hypotheses. Of greater importance perhaps, analyses indicated that increasing levels of participation predicted the greatest positive change in health risk, absenteeism, and productivity.

On the basis of these significant findings an economic investigation, including cost-benefit analysis was performed. While it was relatively easy to quantify the cost of conducting this health promotion program, the estimate of benefits was a much more involved process. For each of the three measures, health risk, absenteeism, and productivity, reflecting positive changes, assumptions taken from the published literature were made to fit conservative, moderate, and liberal economic estimates. All three cost-benefit estimates returned favorable ratios, with 1:1.19 ratio for the conservative finding and a 1:13.9 ratio at the liberal extreme.

The results of this economic analysis, even with conservative assumptions, suggest a very positive return. This positive return could have been boosted significantly if any value had been calculated for the large volume of unsolicited comments denoting improvements in employee well-being and morale. However, the actual calculated benefit reflected only measurable changes emanating from the positive changes in health risk, absenteeism, and productivity. The implication of these results to the management of corporate human capital alludes to an enormous capacity for enhancing worker and organizational potential through worksite health promotion.

Yearly updates are also available.
Last Updated: December 10, 2001