Population Health Workforce Characteristics and Attitudes Regarding Participation in Worksite Wellness Programs Jennifer L. Hall, EdD, MCHES; Kevin M. Kelly, PhD; Leon F. Burmeister, PhD; James A. Merchant, MD, DrPH Abstract Purpose. To estimate workforce participation characteristics and employees’ attitudes regarding participation in workplace wellness programs. Design. Data from a statewide stratified random sample were used to compare small (,50 employees) and larger (50 þ employees) workplaces to estimate participation in screening programs and likelihood of participation in workplace wellness programs. Setting. A telephone survey of employed Iowans registered to vote. Subjects. Surveyed were 1171 employed Iowans registered to vote, ages 18 to 65. Measure. Among questionnaire survey modules were items from the Wellness Council of America Employee Needs and Interest Survey, the U.S. Census Bureau for employment documentation, and the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire for assessment of sickness absenteeism and presenteeism. Analysis. Prevalence of participation in screening and wellness programs was analyzed by employment size and levels of likeliness to participate, and multivariable analyses of employee baseline characteristics regarding participation in screening programs and likelihood of participation in wellness programs was presented as top and bottom quartiles. Results. Those employed in smaller workplaces participated less often in screening programs. Multivariable models identified male gender and those with an abnormal body mass index were associated with nonparticipation, while having a primary care physician was associated with participation. Very few items showed significant statistical difference in willingness to participate. Conclusion. Workforce characteristics and access to health care may influence participation in screening and wellness programs. Employment size is not a determining factor for willingness to participate in wellness programs. (Am J Health Promot 0000;00[0]:000–000.) Key Words: Statewide Survey, Employee Participation, Workplace Wellness, Health Promotion, Prevention Research. Manuscript format: research; Research purpose: descriptive; Study design: quantitative, survey; Outcome measure: participation; Setting: state, workplace wellness programs; Target population age: adults; Target population circumstances: employed Iowans INTRODUCTION The workplace provides an impor- tant venue for promoting health, well- ness, and safety to Americans who spend over a third (8.8 hours) of their day working and doing work-related activities. 1 Recognizing this, the Amer- ican College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2 has identi- fied the workplace as a critical location for achieving the goals of health care reform and for improving the overall health of employees and their families. On a global level, the World Health Organization 3 has declared the work- place as a priority setting for health promotion in the 21st century. Em- ployees with poor health and lifestyle behaviors burden employers with in- creased health care costs and much larger costs from absenteeism, disabil- ity program use, turnover, and lost productivity, often referred to as pre- senteeism. 4 Individual health behav- iors related to diet, physical activity, smoking, and body weight contribute to chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke, which are the leading causes of death in the Jennifer L. Hall, EdD, MCHES, is with the Department of Health Sciences and Human Performance, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Virginia and was previously with the Healthier Workforce Center for Excellence, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Kevin M. Kelly, PhD, and James A. Merchant, MD, DrPH, are with Healthier Workforce Center for Excellence, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Leon F. Burmeister, PhD (deceased), was with the Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Send reprint requests to Jennifer L. Hall, EdD, MCHES, Department of Health Sciences and Human Performance, 136 Thompson Hall, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, VA 24501; Hall_JL1@lynchburg.edu. This manuscript was submitted June 13, 2014; revisions were requested January 8 and July 19, 2015; the manuscript was accepted September 13, 2015. Copyright Ó 0000 by American Journal of Health Promotion, Inc. 0890-1171/00/$5.00 þ 0 DOI: 10.4278/ajhp.140613-QUAN-283 American Journal of Health Promotion Month 0000, Vol. 0, No. 0 0