The health promotion and workplace wellness industries are not shy about promoting the efficacy of their initiatives. Unfortunately, conflicting research makes it difficult to know what to believe and who to trust. Additionally, many health promotion and wellness professionals (and most people generally) do not have sufficient training and experience in statistical analysis or research methodology to recognize sound vs. flawed scientific claims.
This paper will offer insight for thinking critically about claims made by study authors or others who promote research in these industries through the lens of seven common “red flags.” These red flags highlight flaws in research methodology or inaccuracies in the resulting claims that are important for literature readers to understand. Health promotion and workplace wellness professionals can use this paper as a guide for objectively evaluating the literature and its associated claims.
