Chifung Lu

Effectiveness of an Incentive-based Online Physical Activity Intervention on Employee Health Status

Objective: The objective of this study was to test whether a financial incentive integrated with health benefits for an online physical activity program was associated with increased employee participation and improved health status among participants compared with nonparticipants. Methods: Participation in the Virtual Fitness Center (VFC), an online physical activity program associated with a

Influence of participation in a worksite health-promotion program on disability days

150 cash rebate, was assessed. Risk status for 2004 VFC participants and nonparticipants was compared using a health risk appraisal. Results: A total of 53.8% of total eligible employees were VFC participants and reduced their risk for physical inactivity (8.4% points), life dissatisfaction (2.1), low perception of health (1.9), high risk status (1.3), smoking (0.4), and high body weight (0.2). Conclusions: Providing a cash incentive is one strategy for encouraging VFC participation and eliciting improved health status in an employer-sponsored, web-based physical activity program.

Effectiveness of employee internet-based weight management program.

This study assessed the impact of health-promotion program participation on short-term and long-term disability absence days during a 6-year period in a manufacturing company. Male, hourly, active employees (n = 4189) were analyzed from 1995 to 2000. Disability absences were compared for program participants and nonparticipants from baseline (1995) through 5 years of the program. The percentage of nonparticipants absent on any given day was greater than that of participants. Moreover, the average number of disability absence days incurred by nonparticipants significantly increased from baseline to program year 5 compared with participants. The total amount saved each year in disability absence days for the 2596 program participants was

Pattern of medical charges after quitting smoking among those with and without arthritis, allergies, or back pain.

623,040, which resulted in a savings-to-cost ratio of 2.3 per year. Participation in worksite health-promotion programs may lead to reduced disability days in a manufacturing worksite population.

Association of Additional Health Risks on Medical Charges and Prevalence of Diabetes within Body Mass Index Categories

Objective: To evaluate an employee Internet-based weight management program. Methods: Changes in eating habits, stage of change, body weight, and weight categories were compared between enrollment and 6 months after enrollment. Weights and weight categories were compared among a subset of participants and non-participants at 12 months. Results: Seven thousand seven hundred forty-three International Business Machines employees enrolled in the program between December 2004 and February 2006, and 74% were overweight or obese (body mass index ≥25). At 6 months, follow-up survey respondents (1639) had significantly increased most healthy eating habits (eg, 20% decrease in junk foods) and the frequency of healthy foods eaten (eg, 12% increase in fruits). The percentage of participants in the normal weight category had increased from 27.0% to 29.8%, while average weight decreased from 182.6 to 180.2 lbs (P < 0.05). Increased web site usage was associated with increased weight loss and stage of change improvements. At 12 months, a higher percentage of participants had moved into the normal weight category compared with the percentage of non-participants (+2.0% points; P < 0.05), although there were no differences in average weight change. Conclusions: Despite issues of limited penetration and potential self-selection, this Internet-based program had utility in reaching a large number of employees in dispersed work settings, and it led to improved eating habits and improved stage of change at 6 months and more individuals moving into the normal weight category at 6 and 12 months.

An Observational Study of an Employer Intervention for Children's Healthy Weight Behaviors

Purpose. To examine the time frame of changes in medical charges after smoking cessation among (1) those with arthritis, allergies, or back pain and (2) those with none of these chronic conditions. Design. Cross-sectional study using smoking status determined in 1996 and 4-year average medical charges measured from 1996 to 1999. Setting. Nationwide manufacturing corporation (General Motors Corporation). Subjects. A total of 20,332 employees and spouses who completed a health risk appraisal in 1996 were younger than 64 years, were enrolled in indemnity or preferred provider organization health insurance plans during 1996 to 1999, and self-reported no preexisting primary diseases. Measures. Participants were categorized according to 1996 self-reported smoking status into six subgroups: current smokers, former smokers by years since cessation (0–4, 5–9, 10–14, and ≥ 15 years), and never smokers. Average annual medical charges (1996–1999) among those with chronic conditions (arthritis, allergies, or back pain; N = 11,921) or without chronic conditions (N = 8411) were examined independently. Never smokers in each group were compared to respective smoker and former smoker subgroups. Results. Current smokers and former smokers without chronic conditions who quit fewer than 5 years earlier had higher medical charges compared with never smokers (

Effects of an incentive-based online physical activity intervention on health care costs.

2613 and

Effects of a mail‐based intervention to improve knowledge of blood pressure and cholesterol values

3356 vs.

Early survey evaluation of United Auto Workers and General Motors LifeSteps health promotion programs

2203, respectively). Among those with chronic conditions, current smokers, former smokers who quit 0 to 4 years ago, and former smokers who quit 5 to 9 years ago had higher medical charges than never smokers (

Stratification of health risks and behaviors: Dynamic status

4208,