Quality domains of workplace health promotion and how they change in Austrian enterprises over time

Workplace health promotion (WHP) can provide answers to challenges in the changing world of work. Maintaining the benefits of holistic and sustainable WHP does not only take time but also requires quality assurance regarding its structures, processes, and outcomes. Based on theoretical and preliminary empirical work, the question of the measurability of and change in WHP was investigated using the “Quality Evaluation Procedure” (QEP) along 15 quality criteria allocated to 3 quality domains in 447 Austrian enterprises over the period 2014–2022. Longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis and latent growth curve models were used in the multivariate analysis. In addition, the moderating role of centralized structural and implementation conditions of WHP organizations regarding changes in quality over time was investigated. The results show that the QEP instrument measures the quality domains of WHP precisely over time and is both reliable and valid. The quality of WHP is relatively stable, and changes in quality over time can best be described with a linear trajectory. Both the size of the company and the WHP phase play a moderating role, confirming results from the literature. The QEP instrument is suitable for a comprehensive quality assessment of WHP from a cross-sectional and longitudinal perspective. It supports the management and implementation of WHP measures over time and helps to identify possible weaknesses in the structures, processes, and outcomes necessary for promoting healthy employees and building resilient organizations in critical times and situations.