Creation of a health management model to promote physical activity in small and medium enterprises

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20147
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: Shimane University
• Principal Investigator: Tsujimoto Takehiko 島根大学, 学術研究院人間科学系, 講師 (00713299)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 身体活動 / 健康経営 / 中小企業 / 労働者 / ストレス / オンライン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to investigate the actual status of health management awareness and initiatives among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to develop and measure the effectiveness of a health management program centered on physical activity that SMEs can undertake. Although we had to change our plan due to COVID-19, we were able to verify the effectiveness of the program of physical activity intervention in an online environment.
Although awareness of health management among SMEs was relatively high, it was clear that few companies were actually engaged in it and that the focus on physical activity practices was particularly scarce. Online intervention programs led to a slight increase in the number of steps taken by workers and improved work performance.

Free Research Field

健康増進学、スポーツ科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

この研究により、中小企業における健康経営の実態が明らかとなった。国内企業のほとんどを占める中小企業においても、今後は従業員の健康に目を向け、特に身体活動分野などの生活習慣の改善に力を入れる必要があることが明らかとなった。また、これからの労働者への身体活動介入の手段として用いられることが多くなるとされるオンラインプログラムの効果検証を行ったところ、僅かな歩数増加が見られたが、健康指標等への明らかな効果は見られなかった。一方で、労働パフォーマンス向上への効果が期待される結果となった。今後は厳格な研究デザインのもと、より効果的な介入方法の開発や検証を行う必要がある。