The effect of a three-year workplace health programme on employee QRISK2 relative risk scores: a UK based case study

Workplace health programmes (WHPs) have shown to be effective at reducing employees’ cardiovascular risk, this study aims to address the lacking UK-based WHP literature investigating the effects of a three-year WHP on employee’s cardiovascular health. Utilising a within-subject design, data were collected retrospectively on 3 occasions over 3 years, during which time employees had access to WHP interventions. The primary outcome was QRISK2 relative risk. Secondary outcomes included body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, waist:height ratio, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein and TC-HDL ratio. 33 employees met inclusion criteria. Males showed a significant change in QRISK2 relative risk scores (1.62 at T1, 1.36 at T2 and 1.41 at T3) (p=0.023). No change in QRISK relative risk was observed for females (p=0.585). BMI significantly increased in males (p=0.01), while waist:height ratio significantly increased in females (p=0.012). DBP significantly improved for males between the first and second measurements (p=0.020). No significant changes were seen for BF%, SBP or lipids. This study supports the use of WHPs to address cardiovascular risk for male employees. Further research should investigate larger samples, and potential benefits of 12-month intervals between health checks, integrating individuals’ readiness to change