Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Wellness is the desired optimum level of existence an individual can experience and is conceptualized to be the balance among six dimensions, namely physical, emotional, social, vocational, spiritual and intellectual. An imbalance may be created through various factors that could affect the individual adversely and disturb the balance or wellness aspiring for. This study was prompted by the significant influence of unhealthy behaviours on the South African population and its concomitant effects on the workplace. The wellness of the individual is gaining new interest in times where human beings are plagued by increased levels of stress, disease as well as constant and unpredictable change. Wellness programmes are at the forefront of restoring the balance of the working population and the strive towards excellence presents advantages to both the employer and employee. There appears to be an increase in the emergence of wellness interventions since its initial origin in the mining industry of South Africa. There is, however, a lack of research conducted on these programmes to support the development and future improvement and expansion of this vital intervention. This study aimed to investigate the extent of wellness programmes in South African organisations as well as the sophisticated conceptualization of these programmes within this context. The study further extended to the formulation of a model presenting the system of wellness as well as its practical application. In order to investigate and explore these factors, a research questionnaire was developed and presented to a sample of 58 respondents for completion. The results indicate that there are various sophisticated methods applied in the structure and maintenance of wellness programmes in those organisations with such programmes implemented. A tendency towards appreciating the concept of wellness was further identified among respondents. It was however, also ascertained that specific guidance and information about the field of wellness programmes could be advantageous to the future development and frequency of such interventions in the South African business framework. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: "Wellness" is die begeerde optimum vlak van bestaan wat 'n individu kan ervaar en word voorgehou as die balans tussen ses dimensies naamlik die fisieke, emosionele, sosiale, beroepsgerig, sowel as geestesingesteldheid en intellektualiteit. 'n Wanbelans kan geskep word deur verskillende faktore wat die individu nadelig kan raak en die balans versteur of die "wellness" waarna hy streefbenadeel. Hierdie studie is aangespoor deur die belangrike invloed van ongesonde gedrag op die Suid Afrikaanse bevolking en gepaardgaande invloed by die werkplek. Die "wellness" van die individu wek nuwe belangstelling in tye waar mense se lewens al meer versuur word deur verhoogde stresvlakke, siektes sowel as voortdurende en onvoorspelbare verandering. "Wellness" programme is aan die voorpunt om die balans van die werkende bevolking te herstel en die strewe na perfeksie verteenwoordig 'n tweeledige voordeel vir sowel die wergewer as die wernemer. Dit kom voor asof daar 'n vermeerdering is in die toetrede tot die "wellness" programme se bestaansvlak sedert die aansprong daarvan sy beslag gekry het in die mynwese van Suid Afrika. Daar is egter 'n gebrek aan navorsing wat gedoen is aangaande hierdie programme om die ontwikkeling daarvan te ondersteun asook die toekomstige verbetering en uitbreiding van hierdie lewensbelangrike intervensie in die individu se lewe. Met hierdie studiestuk is daar beoog om die omvang van "wellness" programme in Suid Afrikaanse organisasies te ondersoek sowel as die gesofistikeerde begrip van hierdie programme in konteks te plaas. Die studie is verder verbreed tot die ontwikkeling van 'n model wat die stelsel van "wellness" en sy praktiese toepassing uitbeeld. Om hierdie faktore te ondersoek is 'n navorsingsvraelys ontwikkel en voorgelê aan 58 respondente vir voltooiing. Die resultate dui aan dat daar verskeie gesofistikeerde metodes aangewend word in die samestelling en onderhoud van "wellness" programme in daardie organisasies wat wel sulke programme ingestel het. 'n Tendens is waargeneem dat die konsep van "wellness" meer en meer na waarde geskat word soos aangedui deur die resultate behaal. Diesnieteenstaande is daar ook vasgestel dat spesifieke leiding en inligting omtrent hierdie veld van "welIness" voordeling kan wees vir die toekomstige ontwikkeling en behaling van sulke intervensies in die Suid Afrikaanse besigheidskonteks.

abstract: There has been a push to create and implement school wellness policies. Childhood obesity statistics suggest that schools may have an important role to play in promoting wellness. Childhood obesity has become a significant problem in the United States. The percentage of obese children in the United States has more than doubled since 1970, and up to 33% of the children in the United States are currently overweight. Among the 33% of children who are overweight, 25% are obese, and 14% have type 2 diabetes, previously considered to be a condition found only in adults. This mixed-method study with a string qualitative component study examined three aspects of federally mandated local wellness polices. The study investigated the policies themselves, how the policies are understood in the local school setting, with a particular focus on the impact the policies have had on school meals. The bulk of the research data was generated through 8 in-depth interviews. The interviews were conducted with key stakeholders within 2 elementary school districts in Arizona. In addition, the evaluation of 20 local wellness polices was conducted via a rubric scoring system. The primary component found to be lacking in local wellness policies was the evaluation method. Recommendations for school districts include the establishment of a clear method of measurement. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Administration and Supervision 2011

Title: Spa Jeseníkas an opportunity for exercise activities for all generations Objectives: The objective of the study analyzes physical activities for all age category in the Spa Jeseník, identify visitors' goals andpoint to the potential of Jeseník Spa and the surrounding countryside Methods: There were used the methods of - evaluation of recreational tourism potential, questionnaire designed for visitors of the Jeseník Spa and SWOT analysis. Results: Evaluating the tourism potential in Spa Jeseník, ranks Jeseník area among the top localizations with high tourism potential, making the area an appropriate place for recreation. The survey showed that the spa is generally visited by older generations, and thus we can assume, that Spa Jeseník's main purpose is to treat its visitors' health issues. Younger generation, form only a small portion of visitors, which led to the creation of weekly programs, that could lead to an increase in traffic from younger generations. Keywords: spa, wellness, movement, prevention, recreation, Jeseník, Priessnitz Spa

Researchers have noted that 70% of diseases are preventable (Ballard et al., 2007) yet few individuals use preventive services (Wang et al., 2005). The purpose of this study was to examine differences between students who seek preventive services at a university wellness center and those who do not and explore variables that impact readiness for change and health-related behavior. The Wellness Center at Southern Illinois University provides numerous direct services to students, such as alcohol and drug counseling, stress management counseling, nutrition counseling, STD testing, pregnancy counseling, biofeedback, and relationship counseling. Healthy People 2010 is a national initiative, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, involving various efforts to promote health and prevent disease in the United States. The developers introduced Leading Health Indicators, which reflect major dimensions of health behavior and factors that affect health. These indicators, including physical activity, overweight and obesity, tobacco use, substance abuse, responsible sexual behavior, mental health, and injury and violence, are used as a guide to examine the health behaviors in college students. Seventy-nine university wellness center clients and 80 participants from the general student population completed a demographic questionnaire that included questions about participants' risky health behaviors, the Perceived Wellness Scale (Adams, Benzer & Steinhardt, 1997), the Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale- Short Form (Fischer & Farina, 1995), the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 (Lambert et al., 1996), and the Stages of Change Scales (McConnaughy, Prochaska, & Velicer, 1983). Participants who used wellness services reported more risky health behaviors and psychological distress than the general sample. Health behaviors from this sample were compared to a national data set (YRBSS; CDC, 2005) and, although differences between specific rates of behavior were found, there was no difference in total risk score. Wellness service users were more likely to be in the contemplation stage, whereas those from the general sample were more likely to be in the action stage. Participants who were actively making a change were more likely to feel less psychological distress and have more perceived wellness than those in the contemplation stage. Participants in the maintenance stage reported having more negative wellness perceptions compared to participants in all other stages.

Stress is the main contributing risk factor in the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes as well as mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. In particular, job stress may undermine the productivity, morale, relationships, and well-being of employees. Mounting research demonstrate that leisure can contribute to one’s health and well-being by enhancing a stress coping mechanism. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate stress coping and health-promoting behaviors in conjunction with leisure by comparing three types of leisure (active, passive, and social). In addition, the associations between types of leisure motivation and types of leisure, personal attributes influencing types of leisure, and personal attributes moderating the impact of types of leisure motivation on active leisure, were examined. A cross-sectional study was conducted by distributing electronic surveys containing five instruments (Types of Leisure, Leisure Motivation, Coping Self-Efficacy, Perceived Stress, and Health-Promoting Behaviors) along with a demographic questionnaire to 3739 Southern Illinois University (SIU) full-time employees. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) was used to provide the theoretical framework for this study. Perceived stress, coping self-efficacy, and health-promoting behaviors in conjunction with types of leisure were examined. SDT, which mainly posits human psychological well-being induced by fostering intrinsic motivation as opposed to extrinsic motivation, derived research questions with respect to the relationships between types of leisure, types of leisure motivation, and health-promoting behaviors. In addition, the influences of types of leisure motivation on alleviation of perceived stress were examined by comparing the types of leisure (active, passive, and social). For the demographic variables, the influences of personal attributes such as age and BMI on types of leisure were examined. Lastly, whether perceived health status moderates the effect of the type of leisure motivation on active leisure was investigated. Demographic data showed that out of 605 (N = 605) who participated in the survey, 448 participants completed all the survey questions. Statistical analyses which employ descriptive, Pearson correlation, simple/simultaneous regression, and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were performed to investigate the research questions. The analyses revealed that all three types of leisure (active, passive, and social) were positively correlated with each other, coping self-efficacy, health-promoting behaviors and negatively correlated with perceived stress. Also, coping self-efficacy significantly predicted health-promoting behaviors as well as perceived stress. With respect to the associations between types of leisure motivation and types of leisure, intrinsic leisure motivation toward stimulation had the strongest significant association with active leisure. Intrinsic leisure motivation toward knowledge had the strongest significant association with passive leisure. Extrinsic leisure motivation identified had the strongest significant association with social leisure. With regard to types of leisure motivation influencing perceived stress, intrinsic leisure motivation toward external regulation was the strongest significant predictor for elevated levels of perceived stress even after taking into account intrinsic leisure motivation toward stimulation and extrinsic leisure motivation identified. In addition, extrinsic leisure motivation identified significantly predicted lowered levels of perceived stress. With regard to the association between types of leisure motivation and health-promoting behaviors, extrinsic leisure motivation identified had the strongest significant association with health-promoting behaviors. For the demographic variables in conjunction with types of leisure, females exhibited a significantly higher score on social leisure than males and education levels influenced active leisure, indicating that employees with a master's degree had a significantly higher score on active leisure than those with bachelor's degree or some college/high school diploma. Perceived health status significantly predicted active leisure, indicating that university employees with higher levels of perceived health status were more likely to participate in active leisure than those with lower levels of perceived health status. Lastly, the interaction between perceived health status and intrinsic leisure motivation toward stimulation was significant, indicating that the impact of intrinsic leisure motivation toward stimulation on active leisure differed depending on perceived health status. In other words, the impact of intrinsic leisure motivation toward stimulation was significantly greater in university employees with low perceived health status as compared to those with high perceived health status. This study seems to be meaningful in suggesting that leisure can be a contributing factor for health possibly through reducing perceived stress and enhancing health behaviors. Also, meaningful engagement in leisure may play a role as an effective stress coping strategy, which may lead to long term health-promoting behaviors by fostering intrinsic motivation. Personal attributes such as age, BMI, education level, and perceived health status may impact participating in active leisure. Furthermore, perceived health status may moderate the impact of intrinsic leisure motivation toward stimulation on active leisure. Further research comparing types of leisure impacting stress and health behaviors with more well-refined types of leisure scale is warranted.

Previous studies have identified the barriers foodservice directors encounter when developing and implementing nutrition policies (40- 44). However, no research has compared Local School Wellness Policy (LSWP) goals to the priorities of foodservice workers after implementation. This study used observations, surveys, and interviews to determine strengths and weaknesses of Harrisburg Middle School's LSWP and compare them to priorities of that school's foodservice workers in providing healthy meals. Although nutrition policies exist and were considered an important priority among school foodservice workers, enforcement was lacking due to priorities of maintaining a clean and organized lunchroom. Attention to school wellness was indicated at Harrisburg Middle School by the lack of competitive foods and beverages available to students, however healthy menu items and variety in food selections were lacking. These findings are important when approaching school foodservice workers about improving nutrition standards within their lunchroom. In order to bridge the gap between nutrition professionals and school foodservice workers regarding changes in the lunchroom, suggestions should be made with respect to their priorities, such as keeping their lunchroom clean and efficient.

The primary objective was to determine whether there is a relationship between emotional intelligence, locus of control and sense of coherence in a market research organisation. A secondary objective was to determine whether individuals from various biographical groups differed significantly in terms of emotional intelligence, locus of control and sense of coherence. A sample of 179 participants completed the Bar-On EQ-i, Locus of Control Inventory and Sense of Coherence Scale. There was a statistically significant relationship between emotional intelligence, locus of control and sense of coherence. No significant gender differences were found. Furthermore, the findings showed differences between occupational levels in terms of both internal locus of control and sense of coherence, but not for emotional intelligence. No significant differences were evident between education, work experience or age in terms of the three constructs. An emotional intelligence intervention programme was recommended, as well as the use of an emotional intelligence assessment instrument. Recommendations for future research included broadening the relevance of the results. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The main aim of this thesis was creating a business concept based on theoretical and practical knowledge. It will serve as the basis for the creation of a new facility providing wellness and fitness services in Litoměřice. The business concept of the wellness hotel, which will provide quality accommodation, catering, fitness and wellness services, was created based on the situational analysis, competitor analysis and analysis needs of the potential customers using questionnaires.

The main aim of the thesis was the analysis of the services provided in the spa home TOSCA in Karlovy Vary. After that the evaluation of customer satisfaction with the services provided. and it was ascertained their interest in the expansion of services. The thesis was based on the study of literature, the practical part of this thesis was based on the survey and direct interviews on their basis was proposed service innovation.

abstract: The humans-food relationship is a 2.5 million year old, symbiotic connection of “living together” which encouraged a “system of communication up and down the food chain” (Pollan, 2008). (Reardon, 2015). Many researchers agree that this connection is a critical foundation for a beneficial relationship with food and engaging in healthy eating behaviors (McKeown, 2010; Neumark-Stainer et al., 2007; Ristovski-Slejepcevic et al., 2008; Simontacchi, 2007). Against the backdrop of a steadily increasing obesity rate and associated spending, it is critical to approach this issue from a systematic perspective such as understanding the powers that impact the consumer-food relationship (Aronne and Havas, 2009). Experts agree that the rapid increase in convenience food environments has contributed to an obesogenic foodscape that has negatively impacted consumers’ understanding of and interactions with food, resulting in consumption of nutritionally poor food, over-nutrition and chronic illness (Brownell and Battle-Horgen, 2004; Nestle, 2002). Additionally, designers and researchers are beginning to recognize the influence the built environment can have on actions (Patel, 2012; Wansink, 2010), behaviors and attitudes (Gallagher, 1993), even hindering or encouraging one to partake in healthy behaviors (Mikkelsen, 2011; Story et al., 2008). The goal of this study is to understand modern built convenience food environment design and its potential to impact the consumer-food relationship. This study utilizes a heavily qualitative approach, structured by a grounded theory methodology due to the lack of existing research (Martin & Hanington, 2012; O’Leary, 2010) and triangulates utilizing an analysis of secondary research, environmental audit through observations and a survey. The final result will be a compilation of design suggestions, based on those findings, for designing a BCCFE that encourages a healthy relationship between the consumer and food. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Design 2015