A study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research found employees respond better to wellness initiatives when they are targeted directly at individuals, rather than forcing them to access messages through the Internet.
The study found e-mail that included messages with simple, practical tips and individually-tailored goals improved employees' diets and physical activity.
The study was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and conducted via Kaiser Permanente's ALIVE program. Kaiser Permanente employees received weekly "intervention" e-mail with wellness tips tailored for their individual lifestyles. Employees who were not regularly active before the study increased their weekly exercise by about two hours per week, and continued to do so four months after the intervention ended.
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"The takeaway message here for people who want to improve their diet and physical activity, and for employers who want a healthier workforce, is that e-mail intervention programs are a very cost-effective way to get healthy," said study lead investigator Barbara Sternfeld, Ph.D., senior research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and the study's lead investigator. "A tailored e-mail program includes all the things that behavioral scientists have said for years about changing behavior: small goals tailored for the individual, reinforcement, and tracking but delivered in a mass, cost-effective way."
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