A Representative Analysis of Nonparticipation in Workplace Health Promotion in Germany Using Multivariable Methods

Objectives: Studies have identified sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors that promote participation in workplace health promotion activities. The present study therefore focuses on what influences nonparticipation within a representative sample of the German population.

Methods: In the analysis of possible factors influencing nonparticipation, company characteristics are accounted for in addition to sociodemographic and health behaviour-related variables. The data used for the analysis are from the GEDA study 2014/2015-EHIS of the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin.

Results: Age largely increased the probability of nonparticipation (OR: between 1.30 and 1.92, p: between <0.001 and 0.033). Other possible influencing factors, such as weight, smoking status, alcohol consumption, exercise status and diet, seemed to play a rather minor role in the present analysis. Self-rated belonging to a certain socioeconomic status group also had a significant influence (OR: 0.76, p: <0.001).

Conclusion: The influencing factors seem to be of a sociodemographic and socioeconomic nature. These determinants should be accounted for to reduce nonparticipation. However, a comparison with current or longitudinal data would be needed to prove to what extent the results are still valid or influenced by a cohort effect.