Statistics & Research
The following statistics provide quantifiable evidence of both:
- The extent and cost of the problem of poor health brought about by the sedentary deskbound working environment.
- The effectiveness of stretch/exercise breaks, micro-pauses, health advice, ergonomic training and other solutions delivered by DeskActive in overcoming these problems, and improving the health and safety of office staff.
The Cost Of Poor Office Health
The National Safety Council stated that in 1996, backaches alone cost industry more than $1.2 billion in production and services and $275 million in worker's compensation.
Source: The American Council on Exercise, January/February 2006
Corporate health-care costs continue to rise at alarming rates—double the inflation rate. Employers now pay more than $7,000 per year for each employee.
Source: National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), 2005
A 20 year research project at Kaiser Permanente estimates that 60 to 90% of all visits to health care professionals are for preventable disorders.
Source: Kaiser Permanente
More than half of multinational corporations surveyed expect to introduce or expand corporate wellness programs over the next five years.
33% are rolling out comprehensive wellness programs in multiple countries, while another 17% are rolling out a single wellness program in multiple countries.
Corporate wellness programs have been shown to provide a 3-to-1 return on investment.
Source: PriceWaterhouseCoopers research in conjunction with the National Business Group on Health
Overcoming Poor Office Health - Effectiveness
- 62% of workers do not exercise adequately.
- 53% of workers are overwhelmed by stress.
Source: Medibank Private Survey of 3600 Australian employees, 2005
A study by researcher Professor Richard Beasley of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand found that one third of patients admitted to hospital with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were office workers who spent long periods at a computer.
Source: Medical Research Institute of New Zealand
