A recent study from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Penn State University shows flexibility in the workplace can help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to Safety+Health magazine.
Researchers studied more than 1,500 workers in the information technology and long-term care industries. Workers were screened for blood pressure, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin, cholesterol and smoking status at the beginning of the study and one year later.
In one group, supervisors were trained to encourage work-life balance and workers received training regarding improving time management. Another group conducted its work as usual.
Results show the workers in the first group had lower cardiometabolic risk scores than those in the work-as-usual group. For older workers and those with higher baseline scores, the drop in follow-up cardiometabolic risk scores represented an equivalent of five to 10 years of age-related changes.
Additionally, workers who were 45 or older with a higher baseline score were more likely to see their scores reduced than employees who were younger than 45.
The study was published online in the American Journal of Public Health.
