Laima Bulotaitė1, Dovilė Šorytė2, Sigita Vičaitė2, Rasa Šidagytė2, Svetlana Lakiša3, Ivars Vanadziņš3, Lāsma Kozlova3, Maija Eglīte4, Leila Hopsu5, Anne Salmi5, Jaana Lerssi-Uskelin5. 1. Department of General Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania. Electronic address: laima.bulotaite@fsf.vu.lt. 2. Occupational Health Centre, Institute of Hygiene, Vilnius, Lithuania. 3. Institute of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health, Rīga Stradiņš University, Rīga, Latvia. 4. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Rīga Stradiņš University, Rīga, Latvia. 5. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Health care workers (HCWs) have a great background to promote their health - not only their professional knowledge on health but often also special equipment in their work environment. However, it is unclear if HCWs can use such infrastructure to promote their own health as well as what is their motivation to change their own lifestyles. Thus, the aim of the article was to describe workplace health promotion (WHP) situation in health care settings in Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire survey of 357 workers from health care sector in three European countries was conducted. Participants were asked to indicate various WHP activities/facilities/programs organized at their workplaces, WHP needs, opportunities to initiate changes related to the healthiness of their workplaces, and readiness to change their lifestyles. RESULTS: Participants from three European countries differed in their WHP needs and in their responses on various activities/facilities/programs implemented at the institutions. Workers from Finnish institutions had the greatest opportunities to make initiatives relevant to their workplaces' healthiness, while Lithuanian workers were least provided with such opportunities. Furthermore, the results showed that there were differences of readiness to change among the workers from the three countries. CONCLUSIONS: HCWs recognized various WHP activities, facilities and programs organized at their workplaces; however, their needs were notably higher than the situation reported. WHP situation differed among the three European countries.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Health care workers (HCWs) have a great background to promote their health - not only their professional knowledge on health but often also special equipment in their work environment. However, it is unclear if HCWs can use such infrastructure to promote their own health as well as what is their motivation to change their own lifestyles. Thus, the aim of the article was to describe workplace health promotion (WHP) situation in health care settings in Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire survey of 357 workers from health care sector in three European countries was conducted. Participants were asked to indicate various WHP activities/facilities/programs organized at their workplaces, WHP needs, opportunities to initiate changes related to the healthiness of their workplaces, and readiness to change their lifestyles. RESULTS:Participants from three European countries differed in their WHP needs and in their responses on various activities/facilities/programs implemented at the institutions. Workers from Finnish institutions had the greatest opportunities to make initiatives relevant to their workplaces' healthiness, while Lithuanian workers were least provided with such opportunities. Furthermore, the results showed that there were differences of readiness to change among the workers from the three countries. CONCLUSIONS: HCWs recognized various WHP activities, facilities and programs organized at their workplaces; however, their needs were notably higher than the situation reported. WHP situation differed among the three European countries.