EDUCATION

HEALTH PROMOTION IN THE WORKPLACE: FRAMING THE CONCEPT; REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE

M Shain, D M Kramer

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr M Shain
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St, Toronto, Canada, M5S 2S1; martin_shain@camh.net

Keywords: concepts; health; impact; promotion; workplace

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The term "health promotion in the workplace" is a multidimensional concept that embraces at least two major philosophies about what health is and how it is influenced. The first philosophy sees health as largely the product of individual behaviour and as an individual responsibility. It may acknowledge the role of genetics and environment to some degree, but the type of health promotion arising from this set of beliefs focuses on individual behaviour. Consequently, the workplace is seen primarily as a venue through which various programmes can be delivered. Examples of programme areas are: fitness, stress management, smoking cessation, back care, weight reduction/nutrition, medication.

The second philosophy sees health as being influenced by a number of forces, a significant number of which are outside the individual’s control. While acknowledging the individual’s responsibility for his or her own health, this set of beliefs focuses on the role of the environment. Consequently, the . . . [Full text of this article]

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