The Influence of Accuracy of Personal Health Awareness on occupational Health Program Participation

Abstract

Occupational Health and Wellness Programs benefit both the organizations in which they are implemented, and the individuals who participate in them. However, the challenge of encouraging individuals to participate in these programs has received very little empirical research. The purpose of this study was to determine if perceptions of personal health and actual level of personal health influenced participation in wellness programs. It was predicted that there would be a difference between actual and perceived health and that the discrepancy between actual and perceived health would moderate the relationship between health and participation. Further, it was predicted that gender would moderate the relationship between age and likelihood of participating in OHP programs, such that older men were most likely to participate. To investigate, a sample of sample of 240 employees from a small Midwestern university responded to survey invitation. Findings indicated support for the first hypothesis that health awareness influenced participation. However, the magnitude of the discrepancy between actual and perceived health did not interact as hypothesized. Similarly, age and gender did not have an interactive effect on the decision to participate in OHP programs. Implications are discussed.