Best Start Barrie investigated ways to reach this audience of commuters but the media channels were too expensive. There is limited information available on the effects of commuting on pregnancy outcome. Most people who showed an interest in Best Start's workplace program were women. Sadly, in Simcoe County few women are in decision making positions in businesses. This may explain the difficulty of introducing health promotion initiatives to many worksites.
Stress is identified as the single largest factor presumed to have an impact on employee health.
Many managers look to stress management programs as an answer to this problem. It is important to address the cause of the stress through policy changes rather than treating the symptoms of all employees. The college's wellness committee continues to direct the worksite health promotion program. The committee members will repeat a survey of employees in 2-3 years to determine the program's effectiveness and uncover other issues that should be addressed.