Table 1 Characteristics of the included studies (N = 39) and the interventions they studied. An extended table (Additional file 2) is available in an online annex. [RCT = Randomized controlled trial; NRS=Non-randomized controlled study]

Level of intervention

Environmental

4 [29, 30, 34, 57]

Multi-level: Organizational & Individual

14 [31, 33, 36, 40, 42, 43, 50, 51, 53,54,55, 60, 65, 66]

Multi-level: Environmental & Individual

10 [32, 35, 37,38,39, 56, 58, 62,63,64]

Multi-level: Environmental, Organizational & Individual

11 [41, 44,45,46,47,48,49, 52, 59, 61, 67]

Behavioral target of intervention

Physical Activity & Nutrition

16 [40, 42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50, 52, 55, 56, 60, 63, 64]

Physical activity

22 [29,30,31,32, 34,35,36,37,38,39, 41, 51, 53, 54, 57,58,59, 61, 62, 65,66,67]

Nutrition

1 [33]

Continent

Australia

4 [29, 38, 59, 61]

USA

18 [30, 31, 33, 37, 39, 40, 42,43,44, 46,47,48, 50, 52, 55, 56, 60, 62]

Europe

17 [32, 34,35,36, 41, 45, 49, 51, 53, 54, 57, 58, 63,64,65,66,67]

Sector/ industry

Health care provider or insurance

9 [33, 35, 36, 40, 46, 51, 65,66,67]

Services & administration

10 [29,30,31, 37, 41, 53, 54, 56, 57, 61]

Manufacturing

4 [44, 49, 50, 52]

Communication

2 [38, 60]

Education

1 [43]

Multiple sectors

13 [32, 34, 39, 42, 45, 47, 48, 55, 58, 59, 62,63,64]

Type of study

RCT

19 [30,31,32, 35,36,37, 39, 41, 42, 51, 55,56,57,58, 61,62,63,64, 66]

NRS

20 [29, 33, 34, 38, 40, 43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50, 52,53,54, 59, 60, 65, 67]

Intervention duration

>  12 weeks

4 [31, 35, 39, 59]

>  12 months

10 [29, 32, 34, 37, 38, 40, 53, 54, 58, 61]

≤ 12 months

22 [30, 36, 41,42,43,44, 46,47,48,49,50,51,52, 55, 56, 60, 62,63,64,65,66,67]

Not stated

3 [33, 45, 57]

Work-related outcomes

Absenteeism

14 [43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56]

Work performance

5 [29,30,31,32,33]

Workability

3 [34,35,36]

Productivity

6 [37,38,39,40,41,42]

Multiple work-related outcomes

11 [57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67]

Measurement of work-related outcomes

Objective measurement

12 [30, 31, 33, 43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51]

Subjective measurement

22 [29, 32, 34,35,36,37, 39,40,41,42, 52,53,54,55,56, 58,59,60,61, 64, 65, 67]

Both objective & subjective measurement

5 [38, 57, 62, 63, 66]

Other outcomes

Health-related or other outcomes

25 [29, 30, 32, 34, 36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44, 49, 53, 54, 56, 58,59,60,61, 63,64,65, 67]

Not stated

14 [31, 33, 35, 45,46,47,48, 50,51,52, 55, 57, 62, 66]