Health Promotion for Small Workplaces: A Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership

Background The majority of U.S. worksites are smaller worksites that often employ low-wage workers. Low-wage workers have limited access to, and participation in, workplace health promotion programs. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) has been identified as a key method to directly engage employers in identifying the health promotion needs of smaller workplaces. This article describes a four-phased process where CBPR was used to tailor a workplace health promotion program to meet the needs of a smaller workplace that employees low-wage workers. Outcomes of this program were measured and reported over time. Methods The CBPR approach was based on the Social Ecological Model along with two additional health promotion models. Publicly available evidence-based tools were also used for this four-phased process which included the following: (a) initial program assessment, (b) program planning, (c) program implementation, and (d) program evaluation. Key strategies for developing a comprehensive workplace health promotion program guided the process. Findings The workplace's capacity for promoting health among its employees was improved. There were sustainable improvements in the health interventions and organizational supports in place. Conclusion/Application to Practice A CBPR approach may be a way to build the capacity of smaller workplaces with low-wage employees to address the health promotion needs of their workforces. The use of publicly available strategies and tools which incorporate the social ecological determinants of health is of equal importance.