Workplace Health Promotion: a path to follow.

It is necessary to transcend barriers with respect to the conceptual development and implementation of Workplace Health Promotion (WHP), given that workplaces are priority settings for health promotion. This study consists of a qualitative analysis that adopts a hermeneutic approach using a state-of-the-art technique. A total of 131 documents consisting of guidelines produced by national and international organizations and articles contained in the Embase, ScienceDirect, and Scielo databases were analyzed. Three main categories emerged from this analysis: conceptual development, study methodologies, and measurement of the results and impacts of WHP. Research output was concentrated mainly in North America, Europe, and Brazil. The studies document the positive impacts of WHP interventions on health, productivity and costs. The reach of WHP interventions is restricted to the formal sector. The working environments of informal workers are minimally addressed. WHP interventions should be geared towards improving work organization, working conditions, active participation and worker personal development; however, research has tended to focus on specific actions that address risk reduction, disease prevention, and workers’ habits.