The Effects of Health Counseling Programs by Occupational Health Nurses on the Unemployed Visiting the Employment Welfare Plus Center

Purpose: The present study was conducted to examine the effects of a health counseling program by occupational health nurses on the unemployed visiting the Employment Welfare Plus Center. Methods: The one-group pretest-posttest design was used. The study presented a secondary analysis of the data collected in a health counseling program run by occupational health nurses for the unemployed visiting the Employment Welfare Plus Center. Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Shapiro-Wilk test, x test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to analyze 158 data collected between October 5, 2015 and January 5, 2016. Results: After the intervention, the participants showed a significant decrease in the level of stress index (uBioMacpa), stress (discomfort), musculoskeletal pain and depression. In addition, the participants showed a significant increase in self-rated general health, exercise and regular eating behavior. Conclusion: The health counseling program offered by occupational health nurses is an effective intervention to improve the physical and mental health of the unemployed individuals visiting the Employment Welfare Plus Center.