The Impact of Employee Wellness Programs

September 7, 2021 updated by: Zirui Song, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)
There is great public and private interest in the use of workplace wellness programs to reduce health care spending, improve health outcomes, and enhance productivity for employees. However, there is little rigorous evidence on the effects of wellness programs. This study partners with a large multi-state U.S. employer (BJ's Wholesale Club) and an experienced wellness vendor (Wellness Workdays) to evaluate a multi-prong workplace wellness program, including components such as nutrition counseling, fitness challenges, and stress management workshops. The wellness program will be delivered by a team of experts including Registered Dieticians, and will include financial rewards for participation. The program will be available to employees in initially 20 of BJ's 200 worksites, and later expanded to 25 worksites. These worksites have been randomly selected, allowing a randomized controlled trial evaluation of the effects of the wellness program. Data will be collected on a wide array of outcomes from multiple sources, including on-site biometric screenings and surveys, employment records, and health insurance claims for employees at both treatment and control worksites.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
48664

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Employed in one of BJ's clubs during the period of the intervention

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not employed in one of BJ's clubs during the period of the intervention

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Treatment
Employees at treatment worksites will be given access to workplace wellness programming. Participation by employees will be voluntary, but all employees at treatment sites will be considered as part of the treatment group. Employees will also be invited to complete on-site biometric assessments and questionnaires. Data from secondary data sources (including employment records and health insurance claims) will be collected for employees at all BJ's worksites.
Behavioral: Workplace wellness program
Multi-prong workplace wellness program, with components such as nutrition counseling, fitness challenges, and stress management workshops, including supports and incentives.
No Intervention: Primary Control
Employees at primary control worksites will be invited to complete on-site biometric assessments and questionnaires, but will not have access to the workplace wellness programming. Data from secondary data sources (including employment records and health insurance claims) will be collected for employees at all BJ's worksites.
No Intervention: Secondary Control
Employees at secondary control worksites will not participate in in-person screenings or questionnaires, and will not have access to workplace wellness programming. Data from secondary data sources (including employment records and health insurance claims) will be collected for employees at all BJ's worksites.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Physical activity
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Regular exercise, number of hours sitting per day, and actively managing weight, as indicated in responses to survey questions
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Obesity
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Body Mass Index>=30, calculated from measured height and weight
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Absenteeism
Time Frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Number of sick or personal days as a share of total days employed, from employment records
Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Health care spending
Time Frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Dollars spent on health care for employees covered by employer-sponsored insurance, from claims records
Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Blood pressure
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Systolic blood pressure, measured
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Depression
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Unmanaged depression, as indicated in responses to survey questions
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Tenure
Time Frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Duration of employment in days, from employment records
Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Job performance
Time Frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Numerical performance rating from annual review, from employment records
Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Health care spending (i.e. dollars spent)
Time Frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Dollars spent on health care and prescription drugs for employees covered by employer-sponsored insurance, decomposed into spending on inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, and prescription drugs, from claims records
Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Health care utilization (i.e. number of doctor visits, hospitalizations, or medications)
Time Frame: Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Health care encounters and prescription drugs for employees covered by employer-sponsored insurance, decomposed into inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, and prescription drugs, from claims records
Administrative records from 3 years spanning intervention
Nutrition management
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Affirmative engagement in active efforts to improve nutrition, as indicated in responses to survey questions
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Stress management
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Unmanaged stress and stress at work, as indicated in responses to survey questions
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Screenings and exams
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Percent of recommended tests received, as indicated in responses to survey questions
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Tobacco use
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Smoking, as indicated in responses to survey questions
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Health and wellbeing
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Short form 8 (SF-8) physical and mental summary scores, as indicated in responses to survey questions. Each question of the SF-8 uses a 5- or 6-point Likert scale. Its standardized scoring system combines responses into a score that can be interpreted as a continuous variable (analogous to a 0-100 scale), with higher scores denoting better self-reported health.
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Blood glucose
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Blood glucose, measured
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Cholesterol
Time Frame: Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention
Total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), measured
Primary data collected at 18 months and 30 months after initiation of intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Chicago
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Zirui Song, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 23, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 24, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 30, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 9, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 7, 2021

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Wellness 14-3141
  • R01AG050329 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • P30AG012810 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • 72611 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
  • AEARCTR-0000586 (Registry Identifier: American Economic Association Trial Registry)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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