A note on designing evaluations of health effects of cultural activities at work

Abstract

The present pilot study was performed as part of the preparation for a larger controlled evaluation of health effects of a work site-based cultural programme. Forty participants, 10 in each of 4 work sites, were exposed to cultural events that took place once a week during a 3-month period. Standardised health questionnaires were distributed and blood samples collected before and after the three-month period. Visual analogue scales were distributed before and after the event, and from those average emotional effects for each individual were calculated. The individuals who had the highest average emotional effects were those who had the most pronounced deterioration in social support at work – a possible jealousy effect. The potentially most important effect to be evaluated is probably a collective beneficial “climate change” effect which cannot be studied if participants are sparsely distributed in the work site.

Keywords:

• work site cultural programmes
• social support at work
• psychological stress
• fibrinogen
• sleep disturbance

Acknowledgements

Financial support for the pilot study was given by the Vasternorrland County. Jakob Theorell assisted in the statistical analyses.