Overview

Healthcare systems worldwide are facing intense cost pressures due to the increase in chronic disease and unhealthy lifestyles, e.g., obesity, physical inactivity, and work-related stress. Coupled with growing demands for increased productivity in the competitive global marketplace national and multinational employers as well as most national governments are increasingly recognizing the fact that a more proactive and systematic approach to promoting employee health is required. This book highlights how 21 key countries are addressing these challenges by focusing on the following areas regarding workplace health promotion: prevailing health issues and risk behaviors, existing healthcare systems, historical and cultural influences on both physical and mental health, key drivers for establishing global workplace health promotion programs, examples of best practices, key outcomes and success indicators, and existing research findings.