Opportunities for Employers to Support Physical Activity Through Policy

Opportunities for Employers to Support Physical Activity Through Policy

ESSAY — Volume 16 — June 27, 2019

Elizabeth Ablah, PhD, MPH1; Stephenie C. Lemon, PhD2; Nicolaas P. Pronk, PhD3; Janet R. Wojcik, PhD4; Qaiser Mukhtar, PhD5; Jessica Grossmeier, PhD, MPH6; Keshia M. Pollack, PhD, MPH7; Laurie P. Whitsel, PhD8 (View author affiliations)

Suggested citation for this article: Ablah E, Lemon SC, Pronk NP, Wojcik JR, Mukhtar Q, Grossmeier J, et al. Opportunities for Employers to Support Physical Activity Through Policy. Prev Chronic Dis 2019;16:190075. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd16.190075external icon.

On This Page

• Defining Worksite Physical Activity Policy
• Public Policies That Can Affect Physical Activity to, From, and at the Worksite
• Written Policies That Can Be Implemented at Individual Worksites
• Policy as an Essential Component of Comprehensive Physical Activity Initiatives at the Worksite
• Strategies for Policy Implementation
• Future Research
• Acknowledgments
• Author Information
• References

In an effort to improve health and business outcomes, workplaces are supplementing traditional physical activity programs focused on individual behavior change with policies designed to change workplace culture. However, confusion exists about how to define workplace policies. In practice, worksites implement programs, benefit designs, and environmental strategies and describe these as policies. The purpose of this essay is to provide a definition for worksite policy and discuss how policy approaches can support employers’ efforts to promote physical activity. We also describe worksite physical activity policies that employers can adopt and implement.