Stefan Gingerich - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Stefan Gingerich

Research paper thumbnail of Prediction of the Mechanism of Suicide amongst Minnesota Residents utilizing Data from the Minnesota Violent Death Reporting System (MNVDRS)

Research Square (Research Square), Oct 31, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of A Comparison of the Effectiveness of a Telephone Coaching Program and a Mail-Based Program

Health Education & Behavior, Oct 27, 2010

Background/objectives Preventive actions targeting the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and... more Background/objectives Preventive actions targeting the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and deployed from the workplace are scarce. This study aimed to measure this T2D risk in a large sample of the bakery/pastry employees in France and to assess the effectiveness of a telephone coaching program in participants with the highest risk. Subjects/methods A screening survey using the FINDRISC score was conducted by phone among the employees. Those with a moderate risk (score ≥ 12 and <15; body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m 2) or high/very high risk (score ≥ 15) were invited to participate in a 6-month coaching program including 6 monthly interviews together with a final evaluation interview three months later. The effects and impact were evaluated using 8 questions on dietary knowledge/behavior as well as the GPAQ (physical activity) and SF-12 (quality of life) questionnaires. Results There were 19,951 employees eligible for screening (age: 38.0 ± 13.5 years, men 49.6%, mean FINDRISC score 5.9 ± 4.4). A high/very high score was found in 4% of individuals. Overall, 1,348 (among 2,018) eligible employees agreed to participate in the coaching program, 630 of whom participated in all interviews. Of the latter, dietary knowledge/behavior (+1.60) and quality of life (+1.83) improved (P < 0.0001), with a favorable trend for physical activity (+0.06, P = 0.0756). Dietary knowledge/behavior continued to improve in the 581 completers (+0.17, P = 0.0001). Conclusions This two-step prevention program associating T2D risk estimation and a 6-month telephone coaching was deployed in the French craft bakery/pastry sector with significant adhesion. Such program appears beneficial for enhancing knowledge and mobilizing skills associated with T2D prevention.

Research paper thumbnail of The Duration of Mumps Virus Shedding after the Onset of Symptoms

Clinical Infectious Diseases, May 1, 2008

To determine how long people shed virus after the onset of mumps, we used logistic regression mod... more To determine how long people shed virus after the onset of mumps, we used logistic regression modeling to analyze data from the 2006 outbreak of mumps in Iowa. Our model establishes that the probability of mumps virus shedding decreases rapidly after the onset of symptoms. However, we estimate that 8%-15% of patients will still be shedding the virus 5 days after the onset of symptoms and, thus, may still be contagious during this period.

Research paper thumbnail of Association Between Sleep and Productivity Loss Among 598 676 Employees From Multiple Industries

American Journal of Health Promotion, Aug 21, 2017

To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity. Design: Cross-section... more To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity. Design: Cross-sectional health risk assessment analysis. Setting: Employer-sponsored health and well-being programs. Participants: A total of 598 676 employed adults from multiple industries. Measures: Self-reported average hours of sleep, fatigue, absence days, and presenteeism. Analysis: Bivariate analyses to assess the relationships between self-reported hours of sleep and self-reported fatigue and mean and median absence and presenteeism. Results: The relationship between sleep hours and both measures of productivity was U-shaped, with the least productivity loss among employees who reported 8 hours of sleep. More daytime fatigue correlated with more absence and presenteeism. Median absence and presenteeism was consistently lower than mean absence and presenteeism, respectively, for the various hours of sleep and levels of fatigue. Conclusion: Organizations looking to expand the value of their investment in employee health and well-being should consider addressing the employee sleep habits that may be negatively impacting productivity.

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of Financial Incentives on Behavior Change Program Participation and Risk Reduction in Worksite Health Promotion

American Journal of Health Promotion, Nov 1, 2012

Research brief | Impact of financial incentives on behavior change program participation and risk... more Research brief | Impact of financial incentives on behavior change program participation and risk reduction BACKGROUND Employers are increasingly using financial incentives to elicit worksite health promotion (WHP) program participation. 1 Several studies suggest incentives can increase participation rates in health assessments (HAs) 2-4 and behavior change programs. 5 Specifically tailored incentives may also contribute to 12-month smoking cessation 6 or weight loss, 7 but some research suggests offering extrinsic rewards may decrease intrinsic motivation and stifle long-term behavior change. 8

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid onset of functional tic-like behaviors among adolescent girls—Minnesota, September–November 2021

Frontiers in Neurology, Jan 19, 2023

Conclusion: The onset of tic-like behaviors at one school in Minnesota appeared to be related mor... more Conclusion: The onset of tic-like behaviors at one school in Minnesota appeared to be related more to underlying mental health conditions than recent COVID-. These findings highlight the need to better understand functional tic-like behaviors and adolescent mental health.

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid onset of functional tic-like behaviors among adolescent girls—Minnesota, September–November 2021

Frontiers in Neurology, Jan 19, 2023

Conclusion: The onset of tic-like behaviors at one school in Minnesota appeared to be related mor... more Conclusion: The onset of tic-like behaviors at one school in Minnesota appeared to be related more to underlying mental health conditions than recent COVID-. These findings highlight the need to better understand functional tic-like behaviors and adolescent mental health.

Research paper thumbnail of Incentives can Increase Participation in Worksite Health Promotion Programs, but at What Point are they Most Cost-Effective?

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of Incentive Design and Organizational Characteristics on Wellness Participation and Health Outcomes

Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 2020

study published in JOEM identified four shifts in financial incentive strategies in workplace wel... more study published in JOEM identified four shifts in financial incentive strategies in workplace well-being initiatives and compared the influence of those strategies in combination with organizational characteristics on participation and population-level health outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Measuring Participation in Employer-Sponsored Health and Well-Being Programs: A Participation Index and Its Association With Health Risk Change

American Journal of Health Promotion, 2019

Purpose: To develop an index of participation in workplace health and well-being programs and ass... more Purpose: To develop an index of participation in workplace health and well-being programs and assess its relationship with health risk status. Design: Study design comprised a retrospective longitudinal analysis of employee health risk assessment (HRA) and program participation data. Setting: Data from 6 companies that implemented health and well-being programs from 2014 to 2016. Participants: Employee participants (n = 95 318) from 6 companies who completed an HRA in 2014 to 2016. After matching those who completed the HRA in all 3 years, the longitudinal file included 38 789 respondents. Measures: Participation indicators were created for 9 different program components. The sum of these 9 components established the total participation index. Analysis: Descriptive and correlation analyses were conducted on all participation measures. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to assess the impact of participation level on health risk over time. Results: Higher levels of partic...

Research paper thumbnail of Analyzing Best Practices in Employee Health Management

Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 2013

Objective: Examine the influence of employee health management (EHM) best practices on registrati... more Objective: Examine the influence of employee health management (EHM) best practices on registration, participation, and health behavior change in telephone-based coaching programs. Methods: Individual health assessment data, EHM program data, and health coaching participation data were analyzed for associations with coaching program enrollment, active participation, and risk reduction. Multivariate analyses occurred at the individual (n = 205,672) and company levels (n = 55). Results: Considerable differences were found in how age and sex impacted typical EHM evaluation metrics. Cash incentives for the health assessment were associated with more risk reduction for men than for women. Providing either a noncash or a benefitsintegrated incentive for completing the health assessment, or a noncash incentive for lifestyle management, strengthened the relationship between age and risk reduction. Conclusions: In EHM programs, one size does not fit all. These results can help employers tailor engagement strategies for their specific population. BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW Employee health management (EHM) programs have become an accepted strategy to reduce employee health risks, 1-5 reduce health care costs, 5 and improve employee productivity and presenteeism. 6-8 Although there is growing evidence to support that EHM programs can produce a return on investment (ROI) to the employer, 9-13 programs vary considerably regarding the levels of employee participation and the attendant magnitude of health improvement and/or ROI that has been achieved in an employee population. 14 As the field of EHM has matured, several researchers and organizations have proposed employee EHM "best practices." 4,15-18 Best practice guidelines vary in how they were developed, with some that are evidence based, 2,4,16 others that are conceptual models, 17,19 and still others that are based on the consensus of experts. 20-22 Best practices guidelines, and the scorecards that accompany them, have been developed to guide EHM practitioners in program planning, administration, and evaluation associated with improved program effectiveness. The primary aim of most such best practices guidelines is to increase the likelihood that the programs will produce population-level health outcomes along with garnering a positive ROI. 23 The most widely used best practice guidelines recommend institutionalizing support for EHM programs. 4 Such best practices include developing a strategic plan, providing comprehensive program offerings, producing robust communications, offering

Research paper thumbnail of A Comparison of the Effectiveness of a Telephone Coaching Program and a Mail-Based Program

Health Education & Behavior, 2010

Many health promotion interventions have been developed and tested in recent years. Practitioners... more Many health promotion interventions have been developed and tested in recent years. Practitioners and researchers must continue to explore how various program delivery modalities can be used effectively and efficiently to optimize program outcomes. A sample of 6,055 participants was drawn from 10 large employers. Participants self-selected into a mail or telephone intervention. This study compared the demographics of those who selected each modality and assessed differences in program success relative to the modalities chosen. Telephone participants were more likely to be older, female, and salaried. Telephone participants were also more ready, confident, and motivated to make a behavior change, when compared to those in the mail program. Researchers found both the telephone and mail programs to be effective in reducing participants’ health risk status, though the telephone program was slightly more effective. These findings demonstrate the importance of offering a variety of interv...

Research paper thumbnail of The Duration of Mumps Virus Shedding after the Onset of Symptoms

Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2008

To determine how long people shed virus after the onset of mumps, we used logistic regression mod... more To determine how long people shed virus after the onset of mumps, we used logistic regression modeling to analyze data from the 2006 outbreak of mumps in Iowa. Our model establishes that the probability of mumps virus shedding decreases rapidly after the onset of symptoms. However, we estimate that 8%-15% of patients will still be shedding the virus 5 days after the onset of symptoms and, thus, may still be contagious during this period.

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of Financial Incentives on Behavior Change Program Participation and Risk Reduction in Worksite Health Promotion

American Journal of Health Promotion, 2012

Purpose. To examine the impact of financial incentives on behavior change program registration, c... more Purpose. To examine the impact of financial incentives on behavior change program registration, completion, and risk improvement rates. Design. Retrospective cohort study conducted to observe the relationship between financial incentives and behavior change program registration, completion, and risk improvement rates. Setting. Large public- or private-sector employers. Subjects. Twenty-four organizations (n = 511,060 eligible employees) that offered comprehensive worksite health promotion (WHP) programs. Intervention. Financial incentives offered for completion of a behavior change program as part of a WHP program. Measures. Behavior change program registration and completion data were obtained from standard reports. Company-level risk change was calculated from the average per-person number of risks on baseline and follow-up health risk assessments. Incentive design was determined from questionnaires completed by WHP program managers. Analysis. Average registration rates, program c...

Research paper thumbnail of Association Between Sleep and Productivity Loss Among 598 676 Employees From Multiple Industries

American journal of health promotion : AJHP, 2017

To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity. Cross-sectional healt... more To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity. Cross-sectional health risk assessment analysis. Employer-sponsored health and well-being programs. A total of 598 676 employed adults from multiple industries. Self-reported average hours of sleep, fatigue, absence days, and presenteeism. Bivariate analyses to assess the relationships between self-reported hours of sleep and self-reported fatigue and mean and median absence and presenteeism. The relationship between sleep hours and both measures of productivity was U-shaped, with the least productivity loss among employees who reported 8 hours of sleep. More daytime fatigue correlated with more absence and presenteeism. Median absence and presenteeism was consistently lower than mean absence and presenteeism, respectively, for the various hours of sleep and levels of fatigue. Organizations looking to expand the value of their investment in employee health and well-being should consider addressing the employ...

Research paper thumbnail of Prediction of the Mechanism of Suicide amongst Minnesota Residents utilizing Data from the Minnesota Violent Death Reporting System (MNVDRS)

Research Square (Research Square), Oct 31, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of A Comparison of the Effectiveness of a Telephone Coaching Program and a Mail-Based Program

Health Education & Behavior, Oct 27, 2010

Background/objectives Preventive actions targeting the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and... more Background/objectives Preventive actions targeting the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and deployed from the workplace are scarce. This study aimed to measure this T2D risk in a large sample of the bakery/pastry employees in France and to assess the effectiveness of a telephone coaching program in participants with the highest risk. Subjects/methods A screening survey using the FINDRISC score was conducted by phone among the employees. Those with a moderate risk (score ≥ 12 and <15; body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m 2) or high/very high risk (score ≥ 15) were invited to participate in a 6-month coaching program including 6 monthly interviews together with a final evaluation interview three months later. The effects and impact were evaluated using 8 questions on dietary knowledge/behavior as well as the GPAQ (physical activity) and SF-12 (quality of life) questionnaires. Results There were 19,951 employees eligible for screening (age: 38.0 ± 13.5 years, men 49.6%, mean FINDRISC score 5.9 ± 4.4). A high/very high score was found in 4% of individuals. Overall, 1,348 (among 2,018) eligible employees agreed to participate in the coaching program, 630 of whom participated in all interviews. Of the latter, dietary knowledge/behavior (+1.60) and quality of life (+1.83) improved (P < 0.0001), with a favorable trend for physical activity (+0.06, P = 0.0756). Dietary knowledge/behavior continued to improve in the 581 completers (+0.17, P = 0.0001). Conclusions This two-step prevention program associating T2D risk estimation and a 6-month telephone coaching was deployed in the French craft bakery/pastry sector with significant adhesion. Such program appears beneficial for enhancing knowledge and mobilizing skills associated with T2D prevention.

Research paper thumbnail of The Duration of Mumps Virus Shedding after the Onset of Symptoms

Clinical Infectious Diseases, May 1, 2008

To determine how long people shed virus after the onset of mumps, we used logistic regression mod... more To determine how long people shed virus after the onset of mumps, we used logistic regression modeling to analyze data from the 2006 outbreak of mumps in Iowa. Our model establishes that the probability of mumps virus shedding decreases rapidly after the onset of symptoms. However, we estimate that 8%-15% of patients will still be shedding the virus 5 days after the onset of symptoms and, thus, may still be contagious during this period.

Research paper thumbnail of Association Between Sleep and Productivity Loss Among 598 676 Employees From Multiple Industries

American Journal of Health Promotion, Aug 21, 2017

To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity. Design: Cross-section... more To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity. Design: Cross-sectional health risk assessment analysis. Setting: Employer-sponsored health and well-being programs. Participants: A total of 598 676 employed adults from multiple industries. Measures: Self-reported average hours of sleep, fatigue, absence days, and presenteeism. Analysis: Bivariate analyses to assess the relationships between self-reported hours of sleep and self-reported fatigue and mean and median absence and presenteeism. Results: The relationship between sleep hours and both measures of productivity was U-shaped, with the least productivity loss among employees who reported 8 hours of sleep. More daytime fatigue correlated with more absence and presenteeism. Median absence and presenteeism was consistently lower than mean absence and presenteeism, respectively, for the various hours of sleep and levels of fatigue. Conclusion: Organizations looking to expand the value of their investment in employee health and well-being should consider addressing the employee sleep habits that may be negatively impacting productivity.

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of Financial Incentives on Behavior Change Program Participation and Risk Reduction in Worksite Health Promotion

American Journal of Health Promotion, Nov 1, 2012

Research brief | Impact of financial incentives on behavior change program participation and risk... more Research brief | Impact of financial incentives on behavior change program participation and risk reduction BACKGROUND Employers are increasingly using financial incentives to elicit worksite health promotion (WHP) program participation. 1 Several studies suggest incentives can increase participation rates in health assessments (HAs) 2-4 and behavior change programs. 5 Specifically tailored incentives may also contribute to 12-month smoking cessation 6 or weight loss, 7 but some research suggests offering extrinsic rewards may decrease intrinsic motivation and stifle long-term behavior change. 8

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid onset of functional tic-like behaviors among adolescent girls—Minnesota, September–November 2021

Frontiers in Neurology, Jan 19, 2023

Conclusion: The onset of tic-like behaviors at one school in Minnesota appeared to be related mor... more Conclusion: The onset of tic-like behaviors at one school in Minnesota appeared to be related more to underlying mental health conditions than recent COVID-. These findings highlight the need to better understand functional tic-like behaviors and adolescent mental health.

Research paper thumbnail of Rapid onset of functional tic-like behaviors among adolescent girls—Minnesota, September–November 2021

Frontiers in Neurology, Jan 19, 2023

Conclusion: The onset of tic-like behaviors at one school in Minnesota appeared to be related mor... more Conclusion: The onset of tic-like behaviors at one school in Minnesota appeared to be related more to underlying mental health conditions than recent COVID-. These findings highlight the need to better understand functional tic-like behaviors and adolescent mental health.

Research paper thumbnail of Incentives can Increase Participation in Worksite Health Promotion Programs, but at What Point are they Most Cost-Effective?

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of Incentive Design and Organizational Characteristics on Wellness Participation and Health Outcomes

Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 2020

study published in JOEM identified four shifts in financial incentive strategies in workplace wel... more study published in JOEM identified four shifts in financial incentive strategies in workplace well-being initiatives and compared the influence of those strategies in combination with organizational characteristics on participation and population-level health outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Measuring Participation in Employer-Sponsored Health and Well-Being Programs: A Participation Index and Its Association With Health Risk Change

American Journal of Health Promotion, 2019

Purpose: To develop an index of participation in workplace health and well-being programs and ass... more Purpose: To develop an index of participation in workplace health and well-being programs and assess its relationship with health risk status. Design: Study design comprised a retrospective longitudinal analysis of employee health risk assessment (HRA) and program participation data. Setting: Data from 6 companies that implemented health and well-being programs from 2014 to 2016. Participants: Employee participants (n = 95 318) from 6 companies who completed an HRA in 2014 to 2016. After matching those who completed the HRA in all 3 years, the longitudinal file included 38 789 respondents. Measures: Participation indicators were created for 9 different program components. The sum of these 9 components established the total participation index. Analysis: Descriptive and correlation analyses were conducted on all participation measures. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to assess the impact of participation level on health risk over time. Results: Higher levels of partic...

Research paper thumbnail of Analyzing Best Practices in Employee Health Management

Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 2013

Objective: Examine the influence of employee health management (EHM) best practices on registrati... more Objective: Examine the influence of employee health management (EHM) best practices on registration, participation, and health behavior change in telephone-based coaching programs. Methods: Individual health assessment data, EHM program data, and health coaching participation data were analyzed for associations with coaching program enrollment, active participation, and risk reduction. Multivariate analyses occurred at the individual (n = 205,672) and company levels (n = 55). Results: Considerable differences were found in how age and sex impacted typical EHM evaluation metrics. Cash incentives for the health assessment were associated with more risk reduction for men than for women. Providing either a noncash or a benefitsintegrated incentive for completing the health assessment, or a noncash incentive for lifestyle management, strengthened the relationship between age and risk reduction. Conclusions: In EHM programs, one size does not fit all. These results can help employers tailor engagement strategies for their specific population. BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW Employee health management (EHM) programs have become an accepted strategy to reduce employee health risks, 1-5 reduce health care costs, 5 and improve employee productivity and presenteeism. 6-8 Although there is growing evidence to support that EHM programs can produce a return on investment (ROI) to the employer, 9-13 programs vary considerably regarding the levels of employee participation and the attendant magnitude of health improvement and/or ROI that has been achieved in an employee population. 14 As the field of EHM has matured, several researchers and organizations have proposed employee EHM "best practices." 4,15-18 Best practice guidelines vary in how they were developed, with some that are evidence based, 2,4,16 others that are conceptual models, 17,19 and still others that are based on the consensus of experts. 20-22 Best practices guidelines, and the scorecards that accompany them, have been developed to guide EHM practitioners in program planning, administration, and evaluation associated with improved program effectiveness. The primary aim of most such best practices guidelines is to increase the likelihood that the programs will produce population-level health outcomes along with garnering a positive ROI. 23 The most widely used best practice guidelines recommend institutionalizing support for EHM programs. 4 Such best practices include developing a strategic plan, providing comprehensive program offerings, producing robust communications, offering

Research paper thumbnail of A Comparison of the Effectiveness of a Telephone Coaching Program and a Mail-Based Program

Health Education & Behavior, 2010

Many health promotion interventions have been developed and tested in recent years. Practitioners... more Many health promotion interventions have been developed and tested in recent years. Practitioners and researchers must continue to explore how various program delivery modalities can be used effectively and efficiently to optimize program outcomes. A sample of 6,055 participants was drawn from 10 large employers. Participants self-selected into a mail or telephone intervention. This study compared the demographics of those who selected each modality and assessed differences in program success relative to the modalities chosen. Telephone participants were more likely to be older, female, and salaried. Telephone participants were also more ready, confident, and motivated to make a behavior change, when compared to those in the mail program. Researchers found both the telephone and mail programs to be effective in reducing participants’ health risk status, though the telephone program was slightly more effective. These findings demonstrate the importance of offering a variety of interv...

Research paper thumbnail of The Duration of Mumps Virus Shedding after the Onset of Symptoms

Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2008

To determine how long people shed virus after the onset of mumps, we used logistic regression mod... more To determine how long people shed virus after the onset of mumps, we used logistic regression modeling to analyze data from the 2006 outbreak of mumps in Iowa. Our model establishes that the probability of mumps virus shedding decreases rapidly after the onset of symptoms. However, we estimate that 8%-15% of patients will still be shedding the virus 5 days after the onset of symptoms and, thus, may still be contagious during this period.

Research paper thumbnail of Impact of Financial Incentives on Behavior Change Program Participation and Risk Reduction in Worksite Health Promotion

American Journal of Health Promotion, 2012

Purpose. To examine the impact of financial incentives on behavior change program registration, c... more Purpose. To examine the impact of financial incentives on behavior change program registration, completion, and risk improvement rates. Design. Retrospective cohort study conducted to observe the relationship between financial incentives and behavior change program registration, completion, and risk improvement rates. Setting. Large public- or private-sector employers. Subjects. Twenty-four organizations (n = 511,060 eligible employees) that offered comprehensive worksite health promotion (WHP) programs. Intervention. Financial incentives offered for completion of a behavior change program as part of a WHP program. Measures. Behavior change program registration and completion data were obtained from standard reports. Company-level risk change was calculated from the average per-person number of risks on baseline and follow-up health risk assessments. Incentive design was determined from questionnaires completed by WHP program managers. Analysis. Average registration rates, program c...

Research paper thumbnail of Association Between Sleep and Productivity Loss Among 598 676 Employees From Multiple Industries

American journal of health promotion : AJHP, 2017

To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity. Cross-sectional healt... more To examine the relationship between sleep habits and employee productivity. Cross-sectional health risk assessment analysis. Employer-sponsored health and well-being programs. A total of 598 676 employed adults from multiple industries. Self-reported average hours of sleep, fatigue, absence days, and presenteeism. Bivariate analyses to assess the relationships between self-reported hours of sleep and self-reported fatigue and mean and median absence and presenteeism. The relationship between sleep hours and both measures of productivity was U-shaped, with the least productivity loss among employees who reported 8 hours of sleep. More daytime fatigue correlated with more absence and presenteeism. Median absence and presenteeism was consistently lower than mean absence and presenteeism, respectively, for the various hours of sleep and levels of fatigue. Organizations looking to expand the value of their investment in employee health and well-being should consider addressing the employ...