well@work West Virginia Healthy Worksite Initiative

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Submission Date: May 2018

Entry Type: Case Study

State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: West Virginia

States/Territories Involved: West Virginia

Funding Source: CDC

CDC Funding:

Yes

CDC Funding (Specified):

(1305) State Public Health

Domain Addressed:

Epidemiology and Surveillance

Public Health Issue:

  • West Virginia has one of the highest adult obesity prevalence rates nationally, with 37.7% of West Virginia adults who are obese (2016).
  • Reversing the obesity epidemic requires individuals, families, schools, communities, businesses, government and every other sector of society to reduce barriers to healthy eating and active living — to foster a culture of health that makes healthy choices easier for all West Virginians.
  • One way we do this is by targeting populations of working age through the WV Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease’s well@work West Virginia Healthy Worksite Initiative.

Project Objectives:

  • Short-term: Increase the number of WV worksites who adopt evidenced based health promtion strategies for physical activity and nutrition to improve health outcomes.
  • Long-term: Reduce obesity rates amoung WV adults.

Program Action:

  • Utilized CDC workplace model and CDC Worksite Health Scorecard to assist employers with assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating workplace programs to prevent obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other related conditions.
  • Provided resources and tailored technical assistance through a wellness workshop, webinars, and calls on well-known health promotion strategies, such as policies to encourage physical activity and nutrition.

Impact/Accomplishments:

  • Fifty-five school counties as worksites and 33 individual employers representing multiple industries participated in the initiative and received nutrition and physical activity resources.
  • Reached 44,824 employees across West Virginia representing healthcare, social assistance, public health, educational services, non-profit, for-profit and government industries.
  • Developed a dedicated webpage with resources on webinars, presentations, instructional materials, strategies, sodium reduction resources, and a health policy library, that employers can adapt specific policies to help create or improve worksite wellness policies and programs.
  • Partnered with Try This WV and developed a workplace wellness button highlighting successful workplace programs and resources.

Challenges/Lessons Learned:

  • Building a culture of health in West Virginia requires all of us to work toward improving our environments.
  • Utilizing CDC resources and strategies to create or enhance wellness programs and reduce barriers to healthy living is an effective way to help make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Program Areas:

Worksite Health

State Contact Information:

WV
Jessica Wright
WV Bureau for Public Health, Division of Health Promotion & Chronic Disease
304-356-4229
Jessica.G.wright@wv.gov

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