There is an absence of a complete, easy to use, software system that can evaluate all areas of wellness. Although there are software programs and equipment available to examine certain aspects of wellness, they are incomplete. The solution to the difficulties of assessing wellness is the design and development of a software system that can be used to collect and evaluate wellness information. The system allows for complete reporting as it entails the six major components to wellness: demographics, body composition, lab work, nutritional intake, physical activity, and body measures. The system allows for ease of use by providing a user-friendly environment that provides multiple methods of data entry and utilizes existing software and equipment. A complete and easy to use integrated system will promote the process of evaluating wellness and improving the user’s overall health.

No description available.

Presentation on family meals, mothers and daughters and cancer, expectations of women.

Objective: College students may be at heightened risk for suicide and suicidal behavior due to maladaptive cognitive-emotional factors and failure to practice basic health behaviors. However, self-compassion and wellness behaviors may protect against risk. The relation between self-compassion and suicidal behavior and the contributing roles of depressive symptoms and wellness behaviors was examined. Participants: Participants were 365 undergraduate students. Data were collected in April 2015. Methods: A cross-sectional, survey design was employed. Participants completed measures assessing self-compassion, depressive symptoms, wellness behaviors, and suicidal behavior. Serial mediation analyses were conducted covarying age, sex, and ethnicity. Results: Self-compassion was inversely related to suicidal behavior, and this relationship was serially mediated by depressive symptoms and wellness behaviors. Conclusions: Self-compassion may protect against suicidal behavior, in part, due to reduced depressive symptoms and heightened engagement in wellness behaviors. Individual and campus-wide strategies promoting self-compassion and wellness behaviors may reduce suicide risk on college campuses.

This NCA Public Program addressed health, health care, and understandings about health in the Appalachian region, an area where residents face a disproportionately high incidence of poor health and unique barriers to health. The program took place in the East Tennessee Room of the D.P. Culp Center on the campus of East Tennessee State University. The moderated panel included scholars in Communication, Community Health, Nursing, and Appalachian Studies, as well as community practitioners.

abstract: The United Nations projects that 68% of the world population will live in urban areas by 2050. As urban areas continue to grow, it is critical to consider how cities will be redesigned and reimagined to ensure that they are healthy and beneficial places that can properly support their residents. In addition, college students have been identified as a vulnerable population in regards to overall wellness. In Downtown Phoenix, one the biggest elements of concern will be the built environment and its influence on wellbeing as the city itself and Arizona State University’s Downtown campus populations continue to expand. Given this, the purpose of this study is two-fold. I applied Social-Cognitive Theory as a framework to first, understand student perceptions of the built and social environment and second, explore how perceptions of the built and social environment influence student wellbeing. I used semi-structured interviews and participant-driven photo elicitation to answer these questions. The study took place at Taylor Place Mall on Arizona State University’s Downtown Campus and participants were students who attend classes on the ASU Downtown Campus. Findings displayed the need for design considerations to focus on the safety of students, creating places to gather for social connection, and overall a desire for design to focus on place making and place meaning, as well as other themes. Understanding more clearly how the built and social environment guides behaviors and social opportunities can help urban designers, landscape architects, and community developers better plan healthier environments that foster productive behaviors, create meaningful spaces, and prove to be sustainable in future years. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Community Resources and Development 2019

Objective: To investigate and determine periodontal treatment needs by the use of the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) of a Medicaid expansion population in the state of Iowa (DWP) in comparison with patients insured by the traditional Medicaid State Plan, patients with private dental insurance, and self-pay patients, while evaluating for systemic health conditions and socio-behavioral factors. Methods: A secondary data analysis of electronic health records (EHR) from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry was completed and analyzed. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted. Logistic regression models were used to analyze relationships between predictors and periodontal treatment need. Results: Out of the study population, 54% were indicated for scaling and root planing (SRP). Predictors of indicating the need for SRP treatment were found to be: Age (p< .0001), gender (p< .0001), medical diagnosis of diabetes (p=.031), smoking status (p< .0001), and not receiving regular dental check-ups (p< .0001). Discussion: Our findings are consistent with common periodontal disease predictors found in the literature. Interestingly, insurance status was not a significantly associated predictor of periodontal treatment needs. However, approximately 50% patients with all insurance types were indicated for SRP. Implications: DWP patients must earn benefits by maintaining dental appointments. This earned benefits approach delays periodontal treatment as patients must earn this procedure, potentially leading to deteriorating periodontal health. Further assessment of periodontal burden in the DWP population should be conducted and potential program structure evaluated.

The Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a benefit available to Medicare beneficiaries. This benefit has the potential to address many areas of prevention in one focused visit to the primary care clinic, yet it is currently being provided to only 19% of Medicare beneficiaries. This research attempted to examine the extent to which certified health education specialists (CHES) have provided and perceive themselves to be prepared to provide the preventive health services (PHS) within the AWV, along with seven additional preventive counseling services (PCS). A web-based survey assessed the perceived preparedness of health educators, specifically CHES (N=998), to deliver these PHS. The results of these surveys include the development of a single factor internally consistent scale to measure perceived preparedness for the PHS within the AWV. They reveal health educators were least prepared to assist with end-of-life-planning and conduct a basic hearing test. No association was found for education level and perceived preparedness; however, prior experience did account for a significant amount of the variance in perceived preparedness to provide AWV services. Lastly, when compared to historical data regarding physician’s perceived preparedness to provide PCS, health educators were more prepared to counsel on diet and exercise and less prepared to counsel on six other PCS. These results may aid in the understanding of whether CHES perceive they are prepared to provide (PHS) and demonstrate the experience CHES have with each of these PHS.

No description available.

Rising worldwide rates of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Middle East, principally Saudi Arabia, have put an increasing load on the health system and employers. Middle Eastern organizations have been slow to develop targeted health programs, which include an emphasis on employee productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship, if any, between employee lifestyle and workplace productivity. Productivity is the amount of work produced based on the time and cost required to do so. The underlying theoretical foundations of this research were the socioecological health model and the human capital model. The quantitative, ex post facto design relied on secondary data from Saudi Aramco. Lifestyle data were collected from a health risk assessment including the Stanford Presenteeism Scale. Data analysis consisted of both a correlational and multiple regression analysis. Correlational results indicated that exercise, tobacco use, body mass index (BMI), and nutrition were significantly related to workplace productivity. Exercise and nutrition had a significant positive correlation with workplace productivity, while tobacco use and increasing BMI were negatively correlated with workplace productivity. Multiple regression analysis results explained 21% of the variance in the dependent variable, a sizable percentage with such a large sample. Overall, these results suggest a strong influence of health choices on productivity. Since this research was the first to explore the unique cultural context and draw attention to the increasing NCD burden, the results are notable. Implications of this research should resonate with organizational leaders in the Middle East, and provide a clear opportunity to improve organization and human performance.