Att delta i en hälsofrämjande intervention på arbetsplatsen : En intervjuundersökning

Sammanfattning: Introduction The Swedish Work Environment Authority has developed a new guideline that gives employees a great responsibility to promote a good working environment and prevent ill health among their employees. The reason that these guidelines have been developed is that illness among employees at work in Sweden has increased. Background At a workplace in a medium sized city in Sweden a group of employees was offered to participate in a health promotion intervention. The goal of the intervention was to give the employees the best conditions for prosperous health and a chance to improve their lifestyle, if they had a need for it. With the help from a coach, the employees worked in groups and individually in areas such as stress, nutrition, physical activity, ergonomics and mental health, and it was the individual´s needs and interests that guided the entire process. The aim of the study was to examine what the participants experienced when participating in a workplace intervention with focus on health promotion. The method used in the study was a semi-structured interview with four participants, both men and women aged twenty five to sixty three, which were subsequently analyzed through a qualitative content analysis. The result showed that the workplace as an arena was of great importance for the individuals. It was perceived as positive that the intervention took place during work hours, otherwise it would have been doubtful that the participants would have participated. It was important for the individuals to discuss the process they went through with their colleagues. However, all participants experienced a sense of shame and did not want to share their inner thoughts with their colleagues. It turned out to be difficult to formulate their individual goals, their focus was instead on what others expected from them. The conclusion was that fear of failure among the participants was the reason why they did not want to share their individual goals with their colleagues. In order to continue to feel motivated for a change in life style, the support from the coach and colleagues was necessary.