Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a 4-week primary prevention programme on
health-risk behaviours amongst employees at increased risk of work incapacity.
METHODS: Based on survey data and health records from 53,416 public sector
employees in Finland, we identified 872 employees who participated in early
rehabilitation after the baseline survey. We selected 2,440
propensity-score-matched controls for these rehabilitants. Changes in the
prevalence of physical inactivity, obesity, heavy drinking, and smoking, as well
as in the intensity of leisure-time physical activity, weight, and alcohol
consumption after the intervention were examined between the baseline and two
subsequent surveys representing short-term (mean follow-up 1.7 years) and
long-term (mean 5.8 years) follow-ups. RESULTS: There were no statistically
significant differences between the rehabilitants and controls in terms of
changes in weight, alcohol consumption, intensity of leisure-time physical
activity, or prevalence of obesity, heavy drinking and physical inactivity during
short-term or long-term follow-ups. During short-term follow-up, a higher rate of
smoking cessation was observed for rehabilitants than controls (31.7% vs. 20.2%,
p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: Vocationally oriented multidisciplinary early
rehabilitation had little effect on health risk behaviours.

Langue : ANGLAIS