SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The state says its workers are getting healthier, and that university employees are the healthiest among them.
The Statesman Journal reports (http://stjr.nl/12Ul9w2 ) the findings are included in a survey conducted by the Public Employees' Benefits Board. The survey found a decline in the number of workers who reported smoking or being overweight.
The proportion of state workers who smoke dropped from 9 percent in 2009 to 4 percent this year. Fifty-seven percent of workers were overweight or obese this year, down six points from three years ago.
The state created a new wellness program in 2012 designed to make the public workforce healthier and tamp down rising health care costs. The program requires smokers to pay higher deductibles and offers free coverage of smoking cessation and weight-loss programs.
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Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com
