Workplace Wellness Programs
The term chronic disease applies to a group of diseases that tend to be long lasting and have persistent effects.
Chronic diseases have a range of potential impacts on a person’s individual circumstances, including quality of life and broader social and economic effects. Chronic diseases are the leading causes the amount of life lost due to people dying early in most age and sex groups and are the leading cause of illness, disability and death in Australia, accounting for 90% of all deaths in 2011 [AIHW].
Incidence rates of serious workers’ compensation claims increase with employee age. (Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia, 2014) and many of the workers in these age brackets (40-59yo) can have chronic disease or predisposing factors (AIHW) affecting attendance at work, return to work, and continuance with work. Further, health and wellbeing scores effect no. of productive work hours (HAPIA, 2008) . The following statistics demonstrate the extent of the problem in Australia:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
1 in 5 Australian adults (22%)—approximately 3.7 million people in 2011–12—had cardiovascular disease, based on self-reported data.
Cancer
Over the past 3 decades, survival rates for cancer have gradually increased [2]. 861,057 Australians were alive in 2009 who had been diagnosed with cancer in the previous 28 years [4]. In 2009, the risk of being diagnosed with cancer before their 85th birthday was 1 in 2 for males and 1 in 3 for females.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
1 in 10 Australians aged 18+ (10%) had biomedical signs of CKD in 2011–12, with the majority of these showing early signs of the disease
Diabetes
1 in 19 Australians (5.4%) had diabetes in 2011–12 (self–reported and measured data). This is includes approximately 1% of the population who did not self-report they had diabetes, which may indicate they were unaware they had the condition [3].
Mental health
The most recent data shows that mental health conditions are highly prevalent in the population. In 2007, 1 in 5 Australians aged 16–85 (20%) experienced a mental disorder in the previous 12 months [6].
Musculoskeletal conditions
Over 1 in 4 Australians (28%) reported having arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions in 2011–12. The most prevalent conditions were back problems, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis [8].
Respiratory diseases (including asthma &COPD)
1 in 10 Australians (10%) reported having asthma in 2011–12. 1 in 42 Australians (2.4%) reported having COPD in 2011–12. The development of COPD occurs over many years and mainly affects middle aged and older people .