|
|||||||||
|
CHAPTER 10: Working with
Worksites
CHAPTER 10 Appendices
The U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services reports, by the year 2010, an estimated 141-153 million people will be in the work force, spending at least one-third of their lives at their place of employment. Therefore, bringing walking promotion programs into the worksite can be an effective way of spreading the campaign message in the community. Not only does adding worksites to the campaign increase the number of people reached, but it also expands the diversity of people reached. Worksite programs provide opportunities to reach employees and their families with motivation, information, skills, and supportive environments to enhance health through walking. Voluntary participation in worksite programs is often higher than in other community sites. This is because programs at work are convenient. Other benefits of worksite education programs include the potential to harness social support and social influence among co-workers and the opportunity for monitoring, following-up, and reinforcing the program. TopMake a list of the top 20-30 employers. The Chamber of Commerce and the phone directory are good sources for identifying key employers. For the best use of campaign staff time and resources, focus your efforts on two types of worksites:
Worksite contacts should be able to speak and make decisions for their organization or should have access to the decision makers. A wellness director, occupational health nurse or physician, human resources manager, fitness director, labor-union representative, or other interested employee would be an appropriate contact. After identified, meet with the organization contact to gain participation.
Be sure to thank the worksite representatives for their time and willingness to meet with you. Let them know that you will send a follow-up letter and materials for the campaign programs. (See Appendix 10-a for a Worksite Meeting Follow-up Letter. Appendix 10-b refers to the 40-page Worksite Walking CHALLENGE PACKET that is available in this manual or by requesting a copy from authors.) Top
CHAPTER 10 Appendices
Worksite Meeting Follow-up Letter
 Ms. XXX XXXXX Dear Ms. XXXXX, We are planning a health-promotion campaign in Wheeling for April 17, 2001 to June 9, 2001. I write to invite you to join the campaign to help promote the health of the community through health programs for your employees. The West Virginia University Department of Community Medicine and the Wheeling-Ohio County Public Health Department sponsors this campaign. This research will, we hope, prove a model for physical activity not just for West Virginia and the United States but for the world. This is an important challenge and your support of this project will go a long way towards helping us to achieve this goal. The Surgeon General has stated that physical inactivity is a serious nationwide problem. It poses a public health challenge for reducing the national burden of unnecessary illness and premature death. More than 60% of Americans are not getting enough physical activity to obtain health benefits. Twenty-five percent of adults report no physical activity in their leisure time. With these statistics in mind it is easy to see that employee physical activity programs save employees and employers money. WHEELING WALKS is an 8-week media-based community walking campaign. In West Virginia, 68 percent of the adult population reported little or no physical activity in 1998 and ranked third worst among the 50 states for having no leisure-time physical exercise at all. To improve heart, brain, and other body functions at all ages, current public health guidelines recommend moderate physical activity (30 minutes or more) on almost every day. Successfully communicating this information to communities in ways that actually prompt individuals to put on their walking shoes and Walk (the easiest and most popular form of physical exercise) remains underdeveloped. An increasing number of studies document the cost-effectiveness of media-based community campaigns in changing physical activity knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behavior. As you and your employees become active participants in this program please feel free to call upon WHEELING WALKS to help with any aspect of your program. We look forward to working and walking with you. WHEELING WALKS thanks you for your interest and willingness to participate in this worthwhile campaign. So Let Your Employees Know You Enthusiastically Support This Very Important Project! Encourage Your Employee To:
We look forward to working with your organization to promote the health of Wheeling residents. Your involvement will help ensure the campaign’s success. Sincerely, Deborah XXXXXXX Enclosures Top WORKSITE WALKING PACKET Worksite Packet
A 40 page packet of informational materials for planning and conducting a Worksite Walking program is available in a separate file. Click here to view the Worksite Walking packet.
Home - Chapter List - Appendix List - Ads - Word Documents - Help - Top |
