Prevalence and Characteristics of Health and Wellness Programs for Arab Hospitals’ Employees: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Compared to the general workforce, hospital staff has a greater incidence of chronic diseases and mental health illnesses. Wellness programs have been shown to improve the health and well-being of hospital employees by reducing risk factors and promoting healthy behaviors. In the Arab World, there are no available studies on the number, nature, or impact of wellness services provided to healthcare workers. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and components of health and wellness programs targeting hospital employees in Arab countries. It also aims to test the association of hospitals’ characteristics and the challenges faced by these hospitals with the availability of such programs. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire in English and Arabic emailed to directors of Arab hospitals registered in the Arab Hospital Federation. RESULTS: Only 39.5% of the hospitals in the Arab region have an established wellness program. No significant association was found between hospital characteristics and the availability of these wellness programs. The most provided services for hospital staff are Flu vaccine (90.7%), pre-employment medical exam (79.1%), healthy food options (65.1%), and health risk assessment (60.5%), while the least common provided services are mental health (20.9%) and stress management (23.3%). The most common challenges facing wellness services (scale: 0–10) are financial restriction (5.95), creating a culture of health (5.88), and motivating employees (5.56). Only 4.7% of hospitals provide incentives to participate in their wellness programs. CONCLUSION: In general, Arab hospitals lack a wellness culture, and more investment is needed in essential wellness services such as mental health, weight reduction, stress management, and smoking cessation.