Worksite exercise programs: Why do employees participate?

Worksite wellness interventions have been a part of companies' health care offerings to address prevalent health risks such as obesity and physical inactivity. To enhance engagement, participation has been financially incentivized with the assumption that an external motivator in form of monetary benefit is employees' primary driver. However, a more thorough investigation of behavioral regulations that lead to participation is essential, particularly in the absence of incentives. We surveyed a cohort of 436 white collar employees, of which 177 were worksite exercise program participants and 259 were nonparticipants. Diverse exercise facilities were available to all and participation was not incentivized. After controlling for covariates previously identified to affect participation, external regulation was a significant factor in the tested multivariate logistic regression. This finding adds to the evidence of a significant role of non-financial external motivators, such as organizational health culture and the necessity for a holistic participatory approach to health promotion.