Trends shaping corporate health in the workplace

BackgroundThe paradigm for corporate health is morphing from traditional curative services to health protection and promotion. An epidemic of “lifestyle diseases” has developed in the India which warrants an organized integration of company's health, safety and environment policy through a directed wellness program. The current study explored the burden and determinants of lifestyle diseases among an organization.Material and methodsA cross sectional study was conducted over 3 months among employees' at a multinational organization in the field information and technology across 10 cities in India. Data was gathered through a semi-structured questionnaire with socio-demographic details (age, sex) and occupational characteristics such as duration of working hours. Biometric measurements such as body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol and random blood sugar were documented. Statistical measures obtained included descriptives including means, proportions and percentages.ResultsA total of 30,134 employees participated in the study comprising of 16,652 (55.3%) males and 13,482 (44.7%) females. 15,177 (50.3%) belonged to the age group 18–25 years. 24,414 (81%), 4745 (15.7%), 975 (3.2%) had normal, borderline and high risk values respectively for serum cholesterol. 27,660 (91.8%) had blood glucose under normal range, while 2474 (8.2%) were found to be having abnormal blood glucose values.ConclusionWellness clinics and occupational health centres act as a fulcrum and since most of the non-communicable diseases could be prevented by modifying the lifestyle factors and the clinics can provide health coaching, tobacco cessation programmes, nutrition, disease management programs.