Factors influencing the implementation of workplace-based health interventions for non-communicable disease prevention: a scoping review

Background: Workplace health promotion interventions are effective in improving employee health. However, most interventions are temporary and cannot be sustained, and a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence implementation is limited. Therefore, using the implementation framework, this scoping review aims to identify the barriers and facilitators influencing the implementation of workplace health promotion interventions for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Methods: We searched databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from January 1986 to August 2022 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Consistent with the Arksey and O'Malley framework, two independent reviewers reviewed the titles and abstracts for eligibility, followed by full-text screening using a data extraction form. Subsequently, a narrative summary of the barriers and facilitators identified from the included articles was synthesized and categorized into the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The identified barriers and facilitators were stratified according to the implementation outcomes.

Results: Of the 38,384 articles identified, 610 articles were eligible for full-text screening, and 53 articles were included in the final analysis. Over 80% of the studies had applied a qualitative or mixed-methods approach, and the most common topics of intervention were reducing physical inactivity and promoting exercise (36%); moreover, 60% of the studies targeted interventions in medium- to large-sized organizations. Most factors were identified in the inner setting domain of the CFIR. The predominant facilitators were evidence strength and quality and leadership engagement, whereas structural characteristics, relative priority, and available resources were the most identified predominant barriers to the implementation of workplace health promotion interventions.

Conclusion: The barriers and facilitators identified in this study can be used to implement a process to develop a strategy that targets the identified determinants to improve workplace health promotion interventions and their implementation.