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Research Addresses the Relationship Between Community Health and Job Performance

This study snapshot outlines findings from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded research examining the health of manufacturing communities and the effect on business performance.

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Many large employers implement health promoting strategies at their worksite to decrease the direct and indirect costs of poor employee health, but there is limited evidence demonstrating the relationship between community health and employee performance. This study found that employees living in counties with poor community health outcomes had considerably higher rates of absenteeism and tardiness.

This study snapshot outlines research by Megan McHugh, Ph.D. and colleagues at Northwestern University who conducted a comparative case study of four manufacturing plants. Their findings suggest that the successful expansion of the manufacturing industry will be tied, in part, to the health status of manufacturing communities.

Full study findings are available here.

This project is funded as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s solicitation “Engaging Businesses for Health” program, which is managed by AcademyHealth.