RESUMO
Interventions for health promotion in the workplace (WHP programs) can improve the health of workers, acting on modifiable risk factors for chronic diseases. The effectiveness of integrated programs of health promotion in companies is well described in literature. Our project was conducted in two mid-sized companies in the province of Bergamo, respectively with 170 and 230 employees. The project issues were in the following areas: tobacco smoke (awareness and support to smoking cessation); nutrition (awareness and practical action on the workplace canteen); physical activity (awareness, information and practical ways of incentives); prevention of road accidents (training and initiatives to promote safety). The analysis of the behaviours and individual risk factors was performed by a questionnaire at the beginning of the project and a year later. 95 initial questionnaires were returned and processed for the company A and 168 for the company B; their results were discussed with company management, the company doctors and workers representatives and allowed the formulation of a "company assessment risk profile" according to the methodology of the Assessment of Health Risks with Feedback (AHRF). There have been training/awareness messages in working hours for all employees on areas of lifestyle and have started work on the canteen, actions to promote road safety, physical activity and interventions to counter the smoking. The effectiveness of group treatments for smoking cessation has been of 55.6% at 3 months and 50% at 6 months (at the present only a company has achieved 6 months of follow up).