#0148 Workplace wellness programs for working mothers: A systematic review
Workplace Wellness Programs: Easing Stress Among Working Mothers
Working mothers juggle multiple responsibilities on both professional and personal fronts. This often causes them substantial physical and mental stress. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that workplaces extend adequate support to mothers in the form of workplace wellness programs.
To understand the different types of workplace wellness programs that have been employed in the past and their outcomes on working mothers, a research team from Indonesia carried out a comprehensive literature-based analysis. The team focused on a 10-year period, from 2012 to 2022, during which they chose PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and AgeLine databases to source relevant studies.
The team found eight articles that reported effective workplace wellness programs for working mothers. Notably, the women included in these studies belonged to diverse occupations, ranging from medical professionals to administrators, skilled workers, and athletic trainers. The wellness programs covered various grounds, offering specific initiatives for exercise, job rewards, social gatherings, flexible working hours, childcare facilities, and special sessions for addressing mental health issues.
They found that these programs have been extremely beneficial for working mothers, ensuring that they can consume a healthy diet, address their mental health, and exercise regularly. Together, these factors contributed to a better work-life balance and allowed them to cope with stress, burnout, and depression, more effectively than before.
There were notable benefits of workplace programs specifically geared toward mitigating stress related to childcare and finances. Furthermore, these programs helped in the prevention of lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and more.
In summary, this systematic review revealed that there are several benefits of workplace wellness programs for the physical and mental health of working mothers. However, very few organizations offer such programs. Hence, a greater number of workplaces should take immediate action to implement wellness measures for working mothers, based on the existing frameworks and policies.
Link to original journal article:
https://academic.oup.com/joh/article/64/1/e12379/7249415
Title of the paper:
Workplace wellness programs for working mothers: A systematic review
Authors:
Ernawati Ernawati, Fitriana Mawardi, Roswiyani Roswiyani, Melissa Melissa, Guswan Wiwaha, Sri Tiatri, and Dany Hilmanto
