Lifestyle management programme

A lifestyle management programme (also referred to as a health promotion programme, health behaviour change programme, lifestyle improvement programme or wellness programme) is an intervention designed to promote positive lifestyle and behaviour change and is widely used in the field of health promotion.

Definition

Lifestyle management programmes are closely linked to the concept of health promotion, which is “the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.”[1]

Based on this, a lifestyle management programme is defined as a structured, action-oriented health promotion initiative designed to help individuals improve their health, reduce health risks and promote healthy behaviours.

Lifestyle management programmes can target a range of different health concerns and areas, such as physical activity, stress, smoking, and nutrition.[2] They are used in a variety of different settings, however most commonly in workplaces and community or public health initiatives.

Implementation

Lifestyle management programmes can be delivered as a standalone initiative, however they are generally used as part of an integrated, multi-component health promotion programme, incorporating a range of interventions. A health risk assessment or appraisal is often used as a starting point to identify health risks and then target appropriate programmes based on the results.

For example, if an individual’s health risk assessment reveals stress as a high risk area of concern, a stress lifestyle management programme could be recommended to promote behaviour change and reduce the health risks.

They can be delivered through a variety of mediums, including online, face-to-face with a health coach or trainer, or telephonically.

Benefits

Reviews and academic studies exploring the effectiveness and impact of lifestyle management programmes, when used as part of a wider, multi-component health promotion programme, have found that they can:

  • Reduce health risks[3]
  • Reduce medical and healthcare costs[4]
  • Improve productivity [3][5]
  • Reduce absenteeism [3][6][5]
  • Reduce the incidence and severity of chronic health conditions.[2]

Providers

There are a number of different providers offering lifestyle management programmes, including vielife, Staywell, Healthways, CIGNA and LifeMojo. There are also organisations which offer related treatments and therapies which support these programmes. Typically these cover Yoga, Tai Chi or meditation. As an example - Re-Vitalise retreats in the UK offer combined Tai Chi and meditation focussing on the health benefits and de-stressing aspects of these arts

See also

References
  1. . Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion Archived 2009-07-27 at the Wayback Machine, WHO, Geneva, 1986.
  2. Buck Consultants. Working Well: A Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies. 2008; Buck Consultants Limited.
  3. Mills PR, Kessler RC, Cooper J, Sullivan S (2007). "Impact of a health promotion program on employee health risks and work productivity". American Journal of Health Promotion. 22 (1): 45–53. doi:10.4278/0890-1171-22.1.45. PMID 17894263.
  4. Naydeck BL, Pearson JA, Ozminkowski RJ, Day BT, Goetzel RZ (February 2008). "The impact of the highmark employee wellness programs on 4-year healthcare costs". Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 50 (2): 146–56. doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181617855. PMID 18301171.
  5. Pelletier B, Boles M, Lynch W (July 2004). "Change in health risks and work productivity over time". Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 46 (7): 746–54. doi:10.1097/01.jom.0000131920.74668.e1. PMID 15247815.
  6. Aldana SG, Merrill RM, Price K, Hardy A, Hager R (February 2005). "Financial impact of a comprehensive multisite workplace health promotion program". Preventive Medicine. 40 (2): 131–7. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.05.008. PMID 15533521.
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