Implementing a Mixed Health Service Model as an Informed Modality to Enhance Prevention and Promote Workplace Health in the Greek Regional Public Sector: A Pilot Study in Crete
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Preventive care in Greece remains underdeveloped, especially in workplace settings. To address this, a mixed service model was piloted to integrate preventive and occupational health for public sector employees in Region of Crete. <b>Methods</b>: Between January and July 2025, 180 employees enrolled for a 30 min consultation including medical history review, lifestyle assessment, and evaluation of vaccination and screening status according to age, risk factors, and national guidelines. Standardized tools (PSS-14, PHQ-9) assessed perceived stress and mental well-being. Participants rated satisfaction and perceived care quality on a 10-point Likert scale. <b>Results</b>: Of 180 enrolled, 154 completed the evaluation. The majority of participants were female (68.8%), with a mean age of 54 years, and 42.9% held a higher education degree. Common lifestyle characteristics included current smoking (24.7%), regular alcohol consumption (9.8%), and insufficient sleep (mean 6.5 h/night). Overweight (40.3%) and obesity (29.2%) were prevalent. Chronic conditions were reported in 87.0% of participants, with dyslipidemia (54.5%), allergies (35.8%), and hypertension (26.9%) being the most frequent. Criteria for metabolic syndrome were found in 33.1% of participants with a higher prevalence in men (50.0% vs. 25.0%; <i>p</i> = 0.029). Mental health assessments revealed moderate stress levels (mean PSS-14: 23.7) and mostly minimal depressive symptoms (mean PHQ-9: 4.3). Preventive screening was variable, with higher adherence for mammography (79.2%) and lower for colonoscopy (40.2%). Service satisfaction was high, with significant increases in perceived usefulness (8.96 to 9.80, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and satisfaction (9.08 to 9.87, <i>p</i> < 0.001) after the intervention. <b>Conclusions</b>: This pilot revealed critical gaps in vaccination, cardiometabolic risk, and stress management among public employees. It was also shown that integrated workplace-based health models are both feasible and acceptable. These models can effectively deliver preventive actions on a scale and represent a promising strategy for strengthening occupational health in employed adult population.
Authors
- Maria Tziraki
- Marios Spanakis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2163-0653)
- Manolis Linardakis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3849-3907)
- Emmanouil K. Symvoulakis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5650-5513)
- Spyridoula Katsarou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1014-0894)
- Antonios Papadakis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8891-2084)
- G. Pitsoulis
- Charikleia Vova-Chatzi
- Apostolos Kamekis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0601-2654)
- Nikolaos Papadopoulos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9359-639X)
- Nikos Frantzeskakis
Institutions
- University of Crete (GR)
- Regional Energy Agency of Crete (GR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Healthcare
- Published
- 2025-09-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13182337
- Primary Topic
- Workplace Health and Well-being
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00