Ramsey County Employee Worksite Wellness Survey

Focus on Physical Activity, Healthy Eating and Tobacco

Survey BackgroundPurpose• Determine employees current access to, participation in, and

interest in wellness opportunities• Focus on Physical Activity, Healthy Eating and Tobacco• Findings to be used to inform Human Resources, the Wellness

Committee, SHIP and others regarding strategies and initiatives

Distribution• November-December 2010 to all RC employees• Available online or paper

Completion Rate• 1129 of approximately 4000 employees (28%)

Wellness Survey RespondentsGender: 66% Female

Age:

Work Schedule: 89% Monday to Friday, 8% rotating or variable, 3% other

Level of Physical Activity in Job: 66% primarily sedentary 31% up and down/out and about/mixed 3% physical exertion part of job

Age Group Percent (Compared to HP Assessment)

20-29 7% 6.5%

30-39 17% 17.9%

40-49 24% 24.2%

50-59 33% 34.6%

60 and older 13% 16.9%

Missing 7% --

The Physical Activity Challenge• 46% of employees reported no physical activity during the

workday in the past 12 months– 38% females– 61% males– Older age groups less physical activity

• 63% felt they did not have sufficient opportunities for physical activity during the work day

• 32% not getting enough physical activity (HP Assessment)

• National Healthy People 2020 Objective:– Increase the proportion of employed adults who have access to and participate in

employer-based exercise facilities and exercise programs

Employee Participation in Physical Activity

• Walking/jogging with coworkers (26%)

• Exercise classes sponsored by RC (13%)

• Contests, challenges (9%)

• Organized stretch or exercise breaks (7%)

• Walking meetings (4%)• Some other form of physical activity (21%)

– individual exercise– going to a gym– fitness groups and classes not sponsored by RC– other sports or recreation

Facilities Used by Employees (Not all facilities were available to each employee surveyed)

Walk

ing works

tation

Exerc

ise eq

uipment

Indoor spac

e for P

A

Active

modes

of tran

sport

Nearby g

ym

Nearby t

rail

Stairs

inste

ad of e

levato

r0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Data from Ramsey County Employee Wellness Survey

Type of facility

Perc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees r

epor

ting

use

Higher Participation by Females

Walk

ing or jo

gging w

ith co

worker

Class s

ponsored by R

C

Used in

door spac

e for P

A

Used nearb

y trai

ls 0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

Physical Activity Participated in by GenderData from Ramsey County Employee Wellness Survey

MaleFemale

Type of physical activity or equipment

Perc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees

surv

eyed

Workload or job responsibilities

Lack of space or equipment

Time constraints Lack of shower or changing rooms

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Data from Ramsey County Employee Wellness Survey

Type of barrier

Perc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees

Barriers to Physical Activity

Employees Would Like Access to Equipment and Facilities

• If available, employees say they would likely use:– Exercise equipment (56%)– Walking workstation (44%)– Organized exercise or stretch breaks (42%)– Exercise sessions or classes (41%)– Walking group (28%)– Loaner bikes (16%)

• Employees suggest system and environmental changes to make physical activity easier– On-site exercise equipment (39%)– Changing rooms and/or showers (16%)– Flexible hours or longer breaks (15%)

Walking Workstation Survey Results• When employees in a location with a walking

workstation were asked if they used them, 41% reported they did

• Many (67%) reported doing so for at least 1 hour a week, an amount that significantly contributes to their overall moderate physical activity levels

Plato Walkstation Documented Use

Dec-09

Jan-10

Feb-10

Mar-10

Apr-10

May-10

Jun-10Jul-1

0

Aug-10

Sep-10

Oct-10

Nov-10

Dec-10

Jan-11

Feb-11

Mar-11

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Data from walkstation use logs at the Plato site

Month

Tim

e in

Min

utes

Employee Physical Activity is Correlated with Perceived Manager Support

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%Data from Ramsey County Employee Wellness Survey

Low SupportHigh Support

Type of PA or facilityPerc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees u

tiliz

ating

Perceived Level of Support by Coworkers and Managers

Coworkers Managers0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%Data from Ramsey County Employee Wellness Survey

Support for Phys-ical Activity

Support for Healthy Eating

Type of support

Perc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees

repo

rting

hig

h su

ppor

t

Contrast of Perceived Support and Importance of Physical Activity

None/Not a

t all i

mportant

Some s

upport/Not v

ery im

por...

Moderate

support/

Somew

hat i...

High Su

pport/Very

importa

nt

Very high

support/

Extre

mely i..

.0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%Data from Active Living Survey, RC Managers and Supervisors

Perceived upper-level support

Importance to Self Level of support or importance

Perc

ent o

f man

ager

s re

porti

ng

Contrast of Perceived Support and Importance of Physical Activity

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Importance of Physical Activity During the WorkdayData from Active Living Survey and Employee Wellness Survey

Personal OpinionsPerceived Support

Personal level of importance or Perceived level of supportPerc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees

repo

rting

4 o

r 5 o

n th

e lik

ert s

cale

The Healthy Eating Challenge• 35% reported being concerned about being able to

make health food choices at work– 38% females – 27% males– Younger age groups more concerned (41%)

• 57% reported being concerned about maintaining of achieving a healthy weight– 60% females– 48% males– Concern about weight crosses all age groups

Male Female0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Ramsey County Employees

US Adults

Perc

ent O

bese

or O

verw

eigh

tData from the HealthPartners Journey Well,

Health Assessment Executive Summary Ramsey County 2010

Obesity and Overweight Rates For Ramsey County Employees

Obesity and overweight measures determined by reported BMI

Sources of Employee Meals

• When a cafeteria is available about 25% of employees use it• Vending is widely available but its use as source of food for meals is low• Questions were not asked about snacks

Brought from home Fast food restaurant Sit down restaurant Cafeteria0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Data from Ramsey County Employee Wellness Survey

Location employees got their meals

Perc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees

• Only 29% of people felt there were no obstacles to eating healthy at work

Access to healthy food options

Time Constraints Lack of personal motivation

Workload or job restrictions

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Barriers to Eating Healthy

Type of barrier

Perc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees

Employees Desire Healthy Eating Information

• About 1/4 of men & over 1/3 women are interested in:– Attending presentations by experts on nutrition issues (37%)– Getting regular tips and guidelines for healthy eating (35%)– Receiving individual nutrition counseling (35%)– Signing up for program or classes on lifestyle changes (33%)

• Less interest in:– Participating in a weight loss challenge (22%)– Joining a support group for healthy eating/weight

management (17%)

Employees Interested in Guidelines Regarding Food and Beverages

• Guidelines for food/beverages served at work sponsored events and conferences (51%)

• Guidelines for food/beverages served at meetings (40%)

• Workers do not want everything controlled by guidelines – Guidelines for celebrations (eg, retirement) (23%)– Guidelines for treats brought in by employees (18%)

Employees Suggest Environmental and Policy Changes

• Require that vending companies offer healthy food and beverage choices (53%)

• Require that healthy choices always be available in cafeterias (45%)

• Display nutrition information for all foods served in cafeterias and vending machines (29%)

Healthy C

hoices a

lway

s ava

ilable in

cafeteria

s

To rece

ive tips f

or healt

hy eati

ng

To attend prese

ntions by e

xperts

To join a

support

group fo

r healt

hy eati

ng0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Data from Ramsey County Employee Wellness Survey

MaleFemale

What help employees wanted

Perc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees

surv

eyed

Gender Differences in Ways to Promote Healthy Eating

The Tobacco Challenge

• 14% of survey respondents currently smoke or use tobacco products– 9% everyday – 5% some days– 30-59 year olds smoke or use at twice the rate of

younger and older employees• 42% of these are not interested in smoking

cessation opportunities• 58% of employees are interested in some smoking

cessation opportunities

Smoking Cessation Opportunities

Current tobacco users that reported interest in the resource:

Previous tobacco users reported the method to be useful when quitting:

Financial incentive to quit 31% 1%

Nicotine replacement product (gum, patch, etc.)

29% 13%

Prescription medication (Zyban, Wellbutrin, or Chantix)

27% 12%

A quit smoking clinic or class

23% 4%

Quitting along with a buddy, friend or family member

21% 7%

Quit without formal assistance [none of above]

NA 62%

Suggestions to Limit Tobacco Use

Other Suggestions To Decrease Tobacco Use

(From all employees, including employees that do not use tobacco products)

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%

Data from Ramsey County Employee Wellness Survey

Smoking cessation resources

Perc

ent o

f em

ploy

ees

sugg

est

-in

g

Participation in Worksite Wellness Opportunities Offered by HR

Program Participated in past 12 months

Males Females

HealthPartners Journey Well Healthy Benefits Program

61% 66%

HealthPartners Frequent Fitness Program

18% 19%

Pilates and/or Yoga lunch time classes 2% 18%

Stress Management 8% 8%

Weight Watchers at Work 7% 9%

Walking Program at Excel 2% 8%

Have Fun Biking 4% 4%

Fitness for Work (back care) 2% 1%

Other 8% 8%

Physical Activity Opportunities Vary Across Departments

Stretch

breaks

Contests, c

hallenge

s, or c

ompetit...

RC class

offering

Walk

ing gro

ups or b

uddies

Nothing

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Data from Active Living Survey, RC Managers and Supervisors

Human Resources

Parks & Rec.

Property R & R

Pubic Health

Sheriff

Type of peer supported physical activity Perc

ent s

uper

viso

rs re

porti

ng

Strategies to Promote Physical Activity of Employees in Departments and Work Units

CDC Spectrum of Prevention – Information and Education– Peer Support– Equipment, Facilities and Infrastructure– Collaboration and Interest– Practices and Work Rules– Guidelines or Policies

Strategic OptionsPhysical ActivityIssue: Time and work demands• Education

– Use the stairs– Promote available opportunities

• System Change– Organized exercise breaks

• Guidelines/Policy– Flex scheduling

• Physical Environment– Equipment available– Space for exercise– Place to change/clean up

• Normative Environment– Support– Legitimization of behaviors– Visible champions

Healthy EatingIssue: Food brought from home• Education

– Presentation, tips, counseling– Classes

• Guidelines– Events & Meetings

• Physical Environment / Policy– Vending: Healthy options & labeling – Cafeterias: Healthy options &

labeling

• Normative Environment– Support– Legitimization of behaviors– Visible champions

What next?