The worksite as an asset for promoting health in Europe. Final results of the MoveEurope campaign.

ABSTRACT

Non-communicable diseases are a leading cause of morbidity worldwide and are predicted to increase in the next years. In 2008, 36.1 million people died from conditions such as heart disease, strokes, chronic lung diseases, cancers and diabetes (1). According to the WHO, 63% of the deaths, 77% of the loss of Healthy Life Years and 75% of health expenses in Europe are caused by cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory illnesses and mental health problems. All of these diseases have in common is the presence of modifiable risk factors (such as tobacco smoke, low consumption of fruit and vegetables, excessive intake of fats). Acting on these factors would lead to a reduction in the incidence of the aforementioned diseases. According to several studies conducted in the USA, Canada and Europe, the workplace seems an ideal place for implementing successful preventive strategies for the improvement of lifestyles. In 2006, the European Network for Workplace Health Promotion launched the Move Europe campaign to promote a healthy lifestyle at work, with the financial support of the European Commission. This campaign set new quality standards in behaviour-related workplace health promotion (WHP) and identified and documented good practices. Another aim of the campaign was to promote the benefits of implementing WHP, particularly focusing on four fields of life-style related WHP physical activity, smoking prevention, nutrition and mental health. In two years, 65,215 contacts have been recorded in dedicated websites, of which 9,761 in Italy. A total of 2,548 enterprises in Europe asked to be certified and 125 events (such as seminars, workshops, conferences)were held.