Aim: Given the current demographic trends,
preventive intervention programs are gaining
importance for companies. The program
for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases
FIT FOR LIFE – FIT FOR WORK (Boehringer
Ingelheim) aims to motivate employees to
behave health consciously with the help
of the series of modules FIT1, FIT2 and FITback,
on the one hand (primary prevention),
and, on the other hand, it aims to motivate
employees with cardiovascular risk factors
to change their current health behaviour
(secondary prevention). From participants
in FIT1 (internal counselling interview) and
FIT2 (external examination and counselling
interview), selected medical data is collected
and reported back to the employee. The subsequent
counselling interview FITback (12
weeks after FIT1, internal plant medical service)
aims to motivate employees afresh and
support them in realizing their intentions and
sustaining the recommended behaviour.
Subjects and Methods: The change of
health-related cognition and health behaviour
(BMI, pedometer) due to interventions
were assessed by means of a standardized
questionnaire and a pedometer in a longitudinal
study with four assessment points.
The theoretical background of the evaluation
is the Health Action Process Approach
(Schwarzer 2008a). A total of 71 employees
aged 41 years and more participated in the
study; of these, 30 participants showed no
cardiovascular risk factors, 41 participants
did.
Results: The results indicate that FIT2 effectively
motivates participants with cardiovascular
risk factors to change their health
behaviour. In consequence of FITback, those
employees first acquire the competence to
realize their intentions and show changes in
health behaviour: People with cardiovascular
risk factors decrease their BMI and increase
the number of daily steps. Employees without
risk factors increase the number of daily
steps too.
Conclusion: FIT FOR LIFE – FIT FOR WORK is
shown to be an effective and lasting preventive
intervention program. Employees are
motivated to change their current health
behaviour (FIT2) and furthermore they are
supported in realizing their “good intentions”
and sustaining their newly acquired healthconscious
behaviour (FITback). Especially
employees with cardiovascular risk factors
are susceptible to this program. This procedure
is essential for a lasting change of behaviour.
