Background: Canadian children's physical inactivity levels are a public health concern due to their association with chronic diseases and mental health. Families are considered gatekeepers to children’s behaviours, and may influence their physical activity (PA). Purpose: To investigate the influence of family PA factors (i.e. parental PA, parents’ perspectives on family support for PA and family PA rules) on children’s PA levels and their free-play PA facility use. Methods: Kingston Gets Active distributes the Grade 5 Community PA Pass to approximately 2,500 grade 5 students in Kingston and surrounding areas yearly. The pass grants students free access to local pools (n=4), YMCA (n=1), and arenas (n=8) for recreational PA for 10 months. In fall 2006, 292 grade 5 students (54% girls; mean age=9.99, SD=0.35) from 24 elementary schools completed a baseline (BL) questionnaire that assessed demographics, children’s PA levels, PA facility use, and family support for PA. In spring 2007, 272 students completed a follow-up (FU) questionnaire with additional items assessing pass use. In spring 2007, 189 parents (83% mothers) participated in a telephone interview assessing family PA variables and community resources influencing pass and PA facility use. Results: The majority of students (69%) reported using their pass at least once; and although children’s PA did increase (t(230) = -4.91, p < .05), free-play PA facility use did not increase from BL to FU. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis indicated that individual-level variables were better predictors of children’s PA (ΔR2 = .28, F(2, 136) = 26.99, p < .001) and their free-play PA facility use (ΔR2 = .36, F(4, 151) = 21.55, p < .001) as compared to family-level PA variables (children’s PA: ΔR2 = .001, F(3, 133) = 0.089, p =.97; free-play PA facility use: ΔR2 = .007, F(3, 148) = 0.54, p =.65). Parents indicated that other social, organizational, and community factors influenced children’s free-play PA facility use. Conclusions: Children’s PA and free-play PA facility use are influenced by a multitude of interrelated factors within the socio-ecological model. More research should explore associations between family factors and children’s free-play PA facility use. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-09-24 02:48:17.239

The three phased study aimed to develop policy guidelines for workplace health promotion based on an exploration of the current status of health promotion in South African workplaces. In the first phase of the study a case study approach was used to analyse the current situation of health promotion in the workplace. For this phase of the study the particular aim was to determine to what extent the participating workplaces were involved in health promotion, or were salutogenic in nature. A total of 6 organizations participated in the first phase of the study, with a total of 258 participants. The second phase aimed at developing policy guidelines for health promotion in the workplace. The consensus method, using the Delphi technique, was used in this phase, involving seven participants who were experts in the field of occupational health and health promotion. The third phase was an observation of the implementation of the policy guidelines. Implementation analysis, which is part of evaluation research, was the methodology used. Two organizations from phase one participated in the implementation phase. In summarising the findings on the current situation of employee health promotion programs the study showed that none of the participating organizations emerged as health promoting workplaces. Organizations that offered employee health promotion/wellness programs mainly focused on individual health and on HIV/AIDS and none of them was found to provide comprehensive holistic programs that aimed at providing healthy work environments. In phase 2 of the study it emerged that there was a very strong concurrence between the findings from the experts and literature in terms of what needs to be included in health promotion policy guidelines. The key elements for health promotion policy documents were (1) organizational philosophy (2) stakeholder involvement and (3) the description of programs to be included in the policy. During the policy implementation process it emerged that different strategies were used in the policy development process. This process was largely influenced by such factors as organizational size, type and internal structures. Recommendations include an emphasis on more legislative support for health promotion in the workplace, and for more concrete aids such as policy guidelines and educational preparation of occupational health professionals for this component of their role. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

Background: First Line Managers are expected to create a health promoting work environment. Research has shown that the prerequisites for accomplishing a health promoting leadership are not always the best. Aim: The aim was to elucidate the prerequisites for a health promoting leadership as First Line Manager at a University hospital in Sweden based on competence, role, support structures and own durability. Results: First Line Managers at the chosen hospital seems to have rather good conditions for conducting a health promoting leadership. All respondents did have a university degree and most thought that their competence corresponded well with the role. Only two percent of the working time was spent on updating of skills, but all respondents (n=95) felt they developed in the role. The majority felt the role definition was good. Three out of four participants in the study spent less than two hours per week with their manager and half of them under one hour per week. Yet, most participants were satisfied with the managerial support and also with other support structures. The respondents health is good even though many regularly experiences some stress, fatigue or sleeping problem. Method: The study design was descriptive quantitative crossectional. The selection/sample was active first line managers at a University hospital in Sweden. The study was made with a web-based questionnaire. Some questions was taken from the Quality-Work-Competence-method and one from the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire. Statistical evaluation was made with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and Spearmans rank correlation test. Conclusion: First Line Managers are quite content with their working situation and have good conditions for conducting a health promoting leadership at the investigated University hospital. There are however developing potential for the First Line Managers durability and possibilities for performing a health promoting leadership, through developing competencies, managerial support and support structures. / Bakgrund: Första linjecheferna förväntas skapa en god och hälsofrämjande miljö på arbetsplatsen. Forskning visar att det finns stora brister i vilka förutsättningar som ges för att utöva ett hälsofrämjande ledarskap. Syfte: Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka vilka förutsättningar som finns för att utöva ett hållbart och hälsofrämjande ledarskap som första linjens chef vid ett universitetssjukhus i Sverige utifrån kompetens, rolltydlighet, stödfunktioner och egen hållbarhet. Resultat: Huvudresultatet visar att första linjecheferna vid det aktuella sjukhuset generellt sett har ganska goda förutsättningar att bedriva ett hälsofrämjande ledarskap. Alla respondenterna hade någon form av högskoleutbildning och de flesta ansåg att kompetensen överensstämde med arbetsuppgifterna. Endast två procent av den sammanlagda arbetstiden läggs på egen kompetensutveckling. Trots detta upplevde alla respondenterna (n=95) att de utvecklades i sin yrkesroll. En majoritet tyckte att rolltydligheten var god. Tre av fyra i studien träffade sin chef mindre än två timmar per vecka och ungefär hälften mindre än en timma per vecka. Huvudelen av de svarande tyckte ändå att de kände sig nöjda med ledarstödet. Respondenterna ansåg även att stödstrukturerna var på en tillfredställande nivå. Respondenternas hälsa är genomgående god, trots att många regelbundet upplever någon form av stress, utmattning eller sömnproblem. Metod: Design deskriptiv kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie. Urvalet bestod av verksamma första linjechefer vid ett universitetssjukhus i Sverige. Studien är utförd med hjälp av webbenkät. Ett antal frågor (index) har hämtats från Quality-Work-Competence-metoden och en fråga (index) är hämtad från Karolinska Institutets sömnfrågeformulär, Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire. Övriga frågor är konstruerade för att besvara studiens frågeställningar. Statistisk bearbetning av data är utförd med hjälp av programmet Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Data är analyserade med deskriptiv statistik, Chi2-test (C2) och Spearmans rangkorrelationsanalys. Slutsats: Första linjenscheferna är ganska nöjda med sin arbetssituation och det finns goda förutsättningar för dessa att bedriva ett hälsofrämjande ledarskap vid det undersökta universitetssjukhuset. Det finns dock utvecklingspotential för första linjechefernas hållbarhet och möjlighet till ett hälsofrämjande ledarskap, genom skapandet av förutsättningar rörande utveckling av kompetens, ledarstöd och stödstrukturer.

The purpose of this study was to better understand how an individual's quality of life and person-environment fit effect participation in health/wellness programs. A previous study (Nicholas, 1990) on person-environment fit provided a data pool to assess quality life. Faculty, professional personnel, staff personnel, and service personnel at Ball State University completed 230 Work Environment Scale (WES) Real and Ideal Forms and 158 quality of life questionnaires and personal profile forms. One hundred fifty-eight sets of data were used in this study. Chi-square analysis of demographic variables found significant differences between age groups and occupational categories in their tendency to participate. Multivariate analysis of variance of quality of life and person-environment fit score means found that neither could predict participation as Pillais F value was not significant. Pearson r correlation coefficients found significance between quality of life and person-environment fit scores. Stepwise multiple regression of quality of life concern measures found only the concern related to personal health as a predictor of participation. The results of this study do not conclusively support a relationship between either quality of life or person-environment fit and participation. Further study is recommended. / Institute for Wellness

This study provided needed information on consulting as a profession for health promotion and wellness practitioners. Of the 211 participants from consultancy listings for the Association for Worksite Health Promotion and the National Wellness Association, 65 completed the questionnaire designed for this study. Participants completed a 23 item questionnaire inquiring about their current consulting services, marketing strategies, roles performed, job-setting, annual revenue, as well as possible services and marketing strategies for the next five years. The majority of services offered by consultants included health education seminars, health risk appraisals, educational resources, and health screenings. The marketing strategies used most included personal contact/sales, word of mouth, and letters. Health promotion and wellness consultants identified their primary role as information specialists. Chi-square analysis identified three statistically significant findings: health education seminars are a strong revenue source for independent consultants, the annual income range is larger for consultants in a firm, and the annual marketing budget is higher for consultants in a firm. From this study, additional information is known about consultants, including their services, roles, marketing expenses and strategies, revenue, and the development, delivery, and marketing processes of being a health promotion and wellness consultant. / Fisher Institute for Wellness

Health promotion and the practice of health-promotive behaviors are significant factors in longevity and personal wellness. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between an individual's meaning of health and the practice of health-protective behaviors. Theoretical rationale was based on Pender's (1987) Health Promotion Model. Health promotion lifestyle was measured by the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) (Walker,Sechrist, & Pender, 1985). Individual definition of health was measured by the Meaning of Health instrument (Wieseke, 1990a).The sample included skilled and unskilled employees of a 300-bed regional hospital located in the Triad area of North Carolina. Interviews were conducted with a random sample of the respondents to obtain information on themes of the expressed meanings of the Health Concept. Significance of this study lies in determining individuals' motivation to practice health-protective behaviors and also in determining individuals' definition of health. Identification of lifestyle and health behaviors will help nurses and other health care workers determine what motivates an individual to perform health-protective behaviors.The results revealed a significant (p<.05) relationship between the level of overall functioning of all six subscales of the HPLP. Participation in health promoting behaviors was significantly related to physical sensation overall with a level of significance at p<.05. Participation in health-promoting behaviors was significantly related to emotional level overall with a level of significance at p<.01. There was no significance between age group and the HPLP.The conclusions drawn from this study were that the subjects were self-actualized and emotionally stable. The subjects take responsibility for health but do not take advantage of opportunities to monitor health. / School of Nursing

Eighty one percent of employers offer programs that focus on wellness (Hewitt, 2005 & Collins, 2004), but most do not have the resources to hire a health professional, and less than 40% of those that implement wellness programs have training. Qualitative and quantitative data were used to identify ways health professionals can support practitioners who are implementing wellness programs.Results showed that survey respondents are involved with wellness of their personal interest (94%, N=52). Since few have had training, workshops in a community setting are a good way for implementers to discuss challenges, successes, and ideas.Recommendations from this study include facilitating more canned programs that allow for tailoring, creating networking opportunities for wellness program implementers, allowing for more time during workshops for discussion of program materials, focusing on ways to overcome barriers. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

The purpose of this study was to identify college students' health-promoting lifestyle behaviors and to identify differences in these behaviors among various groups of university students living in different residence halls. The subjects who participated in this study were students randomly selected from six wellness residence halls and six traditional residence halls. Of the 200 subjects randomly selected from the two groups, 121 (61%) students completed both the pre and posttest Health Promoting Lifestyle Profiles (HPLP). The wellness and traditional residence hall subjects' pre and posttests were not significantly different from each other. As a result of living in residence halls, the subjects' from both wellness and traditional halls scores on the HPLP increased significantly from pre to posttest. Univariate analyses of variance on the separate dependent variables found significant differences between residence halls for health responsibility. Also, as a result of living in residence halls, the subjects (both wellness and traditional hall) health responsibility scores significantly improved from pre to posttest. An analysis of variance was also used to analyze the effects that the demographic variables had on both the wellness and the traditional residence halls' pretest, posttest, and changes within each sample. / Institute for Wellness

Abstract Background The decrease in children’s outdoor activity and its associated health impacts form the basis for health promotion initiatives to encourage children's outdoor activity. As gatekeepers to their children’s participation in registered programs, parents must be convinced that the benefits of enrollment in such programs outweigh the costs. A guiding framework is thus needed to help recreation providers identify critical program components and effective messages to attract parents. Purpose The main purpose of this study was to gain insight into parental perceptions of barriers and facilitators to enrolling their children in an outdoor activity program in order to inform the development of an action planning framework for recreation providers. A secondary purpose was to apply the framework to an existing summer activity program implemented by the City of Kingston department of recreation. Methods This qualitative study was guided by Social Marketing principles (i.e., the “4 P’s”: Product, Price, Promotion, Place). Key informants, 18 parents of children 4 to12 years old from 16 different neighbourhoods located in a mid-size Canadian city, participated in 4 focus groups and 7 interviews. Sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis involved both deductive and inductive content analysis. Results Parental intentions to enrol their children in an outdoor activity program were shown to be influenced by barriers and facilitators, related to Product and Price, contained within the following themes, ranked from most to least influential: program safety, program social environment, program structure, child preferences, cost and convenience, skills development, variety of activities, community, the local level, and, staff engagement. The influence of these themes on parental intentions seems to be moderated by the theme of Information transfer, related to Promotion. Place was not found to influence intentions. For each theme, a continuum emerged, encompassing both positive and negative influences (e.g. high program safety to lack of program safety) upon parents’ intentions to enrol their children in an outdoor activity program. Conclusions The Social Marketing Framework is useful to inform the development of an action planning framework for recreation providers seeking to enhance enrollment in their outdoor activity programs. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2014-05-30 10:22:07.963

The purpose of this study was to determine if wellness benefits led to any changes in exercise habits among employed postmen. The study was a cross-sectional study carried out by a quantitative method. The collection of data took the form of a questionnaire. The sample consisted of 30 postmen employed at a post office in northern Sweden. The results show that of the postman who use health care benefits, there has been a relatively small change in exercise habits. The results also show that consistently for all respondents was health the main motivation factor for exercise. Time aspect was a factor for not using the wellness benefits. The study showed a state of health is the primary motivational factor to exercise both for those using health care benefits and for those who do not use them.