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Abstract
Annual Management Report for the Headquarters, Army Materiel Command Health Promotion Program - 1996

The submission of this report coincides with the completion of 11 years of award winning screening, programming, and evaluation. The National Center for Health Fitness continues to boast about its meticulously detailed, thorough screening process that focuses on safely managing to screen new participants into rather than out of clearance for Fitness Center participation. To date over 3,669 individuals have been safely screened and cleared to participate, including over 100 new HQ AMC employees during FY96.

Findings and statistics reported here surround 578 active participants or approximately 40% of HQ AMC employees and tenant organizations who are cleared to use the fitness facility. With a mean age of just over 44 years, the participants are represented as 57% male and 43% female. Breaking this group down service, they are 74% civilian and 26% military. Additionally during the last 12 months, 167 participants who had let their active participation lapse re-entered through a modified safety screening. Remarkably, the participation rate during the last 12 months has been at as high a level as prior to the termination of the three hour per week civilian participation time allowance.

While there are a number of mainstays in the AMC HPP including fitness training, weight control, stress management, and personal change, there is constant flux in the offerings to maintain novelty for the long-term participants, as well as to appeal to those who are considering initial screening. During FY96 there were more than 50 health education classes attracting 801 participations. Further, 24 Reach-Out generated 2,096 participations while 21 special events drew 1,026.

Follow-up retesting of participants is another attractive means of maintaining participant interest by providing valuable feedback on relative health strengths and weaknesses and documenting participants' progress toward meeting their health and fitness goals. In FY96 there were 206 retest individuals who accounted for 421 screening sessions. Additionally, 318 participants completed short form Health Risk Appraisals. Much of the information gathered during retesting is also used to determine organization benefits.

Traditionally, four benefit measures including health risk, sick leave, productivity, and health care costs have been examined for hypothesized improvements. Similar to previous results, the FY96 findings support hypotheses for each of the four benefit measure and strongly suggest that individuals who participated the most demonstrate the most improvements.

In the present data, the composite index of health risk, indicated by Health Age is significantly lower by approximately three years for the high participation relative to the low participation group. With respect to sick leave days taken, the low participation group exhibits 9 days per year relative to the 5 days per year taken by high participation group. Although not statistically significant, self-reported productivity appears to be rated more highly for the group with most participation. However, a measure highly related to job productivity, but reflecting job satisfaction is more positive for individuals with the most participation time. Participants accruing the most program exposure also exhibit far less health care expenses with a yearly expenditure of $945 versus $1,438 being spent by the low program exposure group.

In sum, for more than 11 years the AMC HPP has consistently been able to: operate safely and efficiently, attract high rates of participation, and demonstrate a number of benefits to both individuals and the HQ AMC organization. There are few corporate wellness programs, if any, that can manifest comparable characteristics.

Yearly updates are also available.

You can get more information on this study by sending e-mail to NCHF.

Last Updated: December 10, 2001