Moretti Anfossi, Christian; (2024) Development of a comprehensive workplace toolkit to reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

Text Moretti Anfossi_10198930_thesis.pdf Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 1 November 2025. Download (20MB)

Abstract

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, imposing significant economic burdens on countries and companies. While traditional lifestyle risk factors are known contributors, they do not fully explain the population burden of CVDs. Emerging evidence suggests that work-related risk factors play a significant role in the development, progression, morbidity, and mortality of CVDs. Workplace health programs are crucial in preventing CVDs. However, the optimal interventions and their implementation remain unclear. This research aims to develop an evidence-based toolkit for workplace interventions to reduce CVD risks. Two systematic reviews were conducted to evaluate the evidence on work-related CVD risk factors and the efficacy of workplace interventions. Additionally, a qualitative study in Chile explored the views of key stakeholders on implementing these interventions. Systematic Review 1 identifies job strain and shift work as significant CVD risk factors, while other work-related exposures have limited evidence of harm. Systematic Review 2 shows that interventions like educational sessions, counselling, physical activity, informational messages, stress management, and supportive workplace policies reduce CVD risks, though the effectiveness of complex strategies needs more research. The qualitative study emphasises the importance of stakeholder perspectives in workplace interventions, highlighting the need to consider workers' demographics and interests, socio-economic context, and organisational culture. It also calls for a comprehensive diagnostic phase and tailored intervention design. The toolkit prototype, developed based on the three studies, emphasises the importance of addressing occupational risk factors for CVDs alongside traditional ones, by providing intervention options such as stress management and organisational interventions, not just traditional health promotion interventions. The findings recommend a comprehensive diagnostic phase, active involvement of employees and leaders, continuous monitoring, and tailored interventions based on organisational characteristics. These interventions should focus on individuals’ behaviours, skills, and awareness. These insights offer an evidence-based approach to reducing CVD risk.

Download activity - last month

Export as XMLJSONCSV

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as CSVJSONXML

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as CSVXMLJSON

Archive Staff Only

View Item