Effective Corporate Wellness Programs include the use of data sources in support of Corporate Wellness Program planning, implementation, and evaluation. Data sources can be used to complete a community needs assessment, develop realistic Corporate Wellness Program goals and objectives, and gain Upper Management support.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Data and statistics
• http://www.cdc.gov/DataStatistics/
• Data and statistics are available by topic (i.e., asthma, injuries, MRSA).
• Data access tools are available to customize information tables and query datasets (i.e., Healthy People DATA2010, tobacco use-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity, and Economic Costs).
• Nationwide survey information is available (i.e., National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)).
CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
• http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.htm
• BRFSS is the world’s largest, ongoing telephone health survey system. BRFSS has been tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the US yearly since 1984.
• Chronic Disease Indicators are divided into seven categories: physical activity and nutrition, tobacco and alcohol use, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, overarching conditions, and other disease and risk factors.
• Prevalence information is also available (i.e., weight classification by Body Mass Index and age).