According to the Healthy People 2020 report, most Americans do not maintain the diet or physical activity levels needed to maintain proper health. Chronic diseases account for four of the top five leading causes of death among Delawareans, according to Chronic Diseases in Delaware: Facts and Figures report of 2019. Further, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) statistics show that more than 156 million full-time workers in the U.S. spend most of their daily waking hours in the workplace.

RESPONSE

Workplace health promotion programs can save companies money by reducing healthcare and absenteeism costs and improving worker productivity. People are encouraged to act on their knowledge and awareness when certain conditions are created, using a three-tiered approach consisting of:

education,
policy, systems and environment (PSE) change strategies, and
marketing/promotion.

In 2020, UD Cooperative Extension provided virtual educational programming to community-based worksite employees through a grant-funded initiative spearheaded by a local community health coalition. Additionally, the Delaware Fit Biz worksite PSE initiative, funded through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program–Education (SNAP-Ed) grant, implemented five PSE change strategies at two Perdue Farms, Inc. worksites. These initiatives were marketed using social media and the Delaware Fit Biz Facebook Group.

IMPACT

Transitioning lunch and learn programs to a virtual format allowed for a greater reach while helping reducing operating costs. A total of 15 worksite wellness lunch and learn programs were provided to 212 community members statewide and generated $750 in revenue. At least four speaker's bureau programs were recorded and posted to the new UDCES recorded programs website.

Program participant feedback included:

"We have been following your programing with awe at your ability to shift to virtual offerings and the subject material is amazing..."
"Great ideas for snacks for my grandkids! Thank you very much!"
"Thank you for the wonderful presentation!"
"The handouts are so worth printing."

Regardless of the challenges that COVID-19 presented to poultry plants in 2020, Perdue Farms, Inc. reported continued dedication to Delaware Fit Biz with the sustainability of four PSEs and the implementation of one additional PSE, with a total overall reach of nearly 2,900 associates. Perdue also reported a financial investment of $2,150 toward the implementation of those PSEs. One PSE, however, could not be sustained due to COVID-19.

Four new community partnerships were also created. To date, 16 people have become followers of the new Delaware Fit Biz Facebook Group with more than 20 posts. The UD Cooperative Extension worksite wellness web page and worksite wellness article saw 147 unique web views in 2020.

RECOGNITION

Thank you to Perdue Farms, Inc. for investing $2,150 to the implementation of five PSE strategies in two sites (only PSEs requiring a financial investment are listed):

Free drinking water at the worksite
Worksite physical activity clubs
Recipe taste testing in worksite cafeterias
Worksite breastfeeding

Thank you also to our friends at the Delaware Breastfeeding Coalition, Beebe Healthcare and the Delaware Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program for their in-kind donation of breastfeeding supplies and educational information and the Sussex County Health Coalition’s COIIN grant for providing early learning education and milestone baby bags to families with new babies.