1. The problem and objective of study Workers in physically demanding jobs have, over the last decade, shown a high incidence of work-related injuries as well as other related physical disorders (Dempsey & Hashemi, 1999:183; Mital & Ramakrishnan, 1999:74; WHO, 1999:1; Weir & Nielson, 2001:128; Cox et al, 2003:6). This has been shown to lead to absenteeism, lost work time and poor work quality which in turn give rise to increased costs of yearly worker compensation claims, medical treatment and general loss of production (Ciriello & Snook, 1999:149; Mital, 1999:246-247; Cox et al., 2003:6). For example, the World Health Organization indicates that work related injuries and illness kill an estimated 1.1 million people worldwide every year. This is roughly equal to the number of worldwide deaths due to malaria each year (WHO, 1999:1). Research indicates that these types of injuries and/or work disability usually occur when the physical demands of the work tasks exceed the physical work capacity of the worker (Chaffin, 1974:251-254; Fraser, 1992:24; Shrey, 1997a:8). Two types of workers are usually pointed out by management in this regard, namely the older workers and females that are exposed to tasks with a high physical demand (Ayoub & Mital, 1989:9; Smith & Mustard, 2004:755; Sluiter, 2006:438). The above-mentioned problem seems to be a global concern (Mital, 1999:246; WHO, 1999:1) and forces companies to better manage the physical incapacity of workers in physical demanding jobs. The management of the electricity supply company in South Africa (hereafter the company) who realised that this problem was also prevalent in their workforce, developed minimum physical ability task requirements, that represent the physical work demands, for all the physically demanding jobs (Lubbe, 2003b:4). These minimum requirements enable the company to determine which workers do not have the physical work capacity to perform their physical work demands and to implement the necessary management process, such as a worksite wellness program, to address the problem. Hence the objective of the study were to determine the: a) role of gender on the physical work capacity profile of workers in the company based on the minimum physical ability task requirements of their job; b) role of age on the physical work capacity profile of workers in the company based on the minimum physical ability task requirements of their job; c) effect of a worksite wellness program on the physical work capacity profile of workers in the company based on the minimum physical ability task requirements of their job. 2. Summary of results a) The physical work capacity of male workers in this population are practically significant greater than that of female workers with the same job-related minimum physical ability task requirements. b) Practically significant more female workers do not have the minimum physical work capacity required by their job, than male workers. c) The physical work capacity of workers in physically demanding jobs within this company declines with aging. d) The age-related decline in physical work capacity for male workers is to such an extent that from the age of 60, the physical work demands of their job exceed their physical work capacity. e) The age-related decline in physical work capacity for female workers is to such an extent that, in general, the indication is that they will never have the required physical work capacity based on the minimum physical ability task requirements of their job, for it is predicted that from the age of 18, the physical work demands of their job exceed their physical work capacity. f) A worksite wellness program assists workers whose physical work capacity profile does not meet the minimum physical ability task requirements of their job, to regain the required physical work capacity. g) A worksite wellness program provide an alternative option to managing the physical work capacity of their workers, other than ill-health retirement, retrenchments or prolonged sick-leave. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

El presente plan de negocio muestra la viabilidad de la Implementación de un Programa de Bienestar nutricional para la pequeña y mediana empresa de la Provincia Constitucional del Callao, donde las empresas que tomen el servicio brindarán a sus trabajadores la posibilidad de acceder a herramientas que les permitirán mejorar su salud, así también a la organización en el incremento de su productividad. Para analizar la viabilidad de su ejecución se llevó a cabo una investigación de mercado que evidencio en nuestro segmento un mayor número de empresas en el rubro de manufactura, transporte y almacenamiento, así también nos muestra el interés por mejorar la alimentación de sus trabajadores pues consideran su influencia con la productividad. La empresa Salud Laboral SRL brindará el servicio de “Programa de Bienestar Nutricional en las pequeñas y medianas empresas de la Provincia Constitucional del Callao”, el mismo que consiste en consulta nutricional, talleres educativos aplicando la técnica de Programación Neuro Lingüística(PNL) y la Inspección a lugares de expendio de alimentos. El servicio estará a cargo de nutricionistas y psicólogos; quienes adaptaran la metodología de acuerdo al requerimiento de las empresas contratantes y del presupuesto que los mismos dispongan, realizando las actividades en sus instalaciones. Con ello aportaremos en la mejorar de la salud de los beneficiarios desarrollando un enfoque de fidelización, productividad y seguridad. Finalmente, el análisis financiero encontró una tasa interna de retorno y un valor actual neto favorable lo que permite recomendar la inversión en este proyecto. / This business plan shows the viability of implementing a Nutritional Wellness Program for small and medium enterprises in the Constitutional Province of Callao. The companies that take the service will offer their workers the possibility to access tools that will allow them to improve their health, as well as the organization in increasing their productivity. To analyze the viability we made a market investigation that evidenced in our segment a greater number of companies in the field of manufacturing, transport and storage, as well as the interest to improve the food supply of its workers because they consider it is importaht to improve the productivity. The company Salud Laboral SRL will offer the service of "Nutritional Wellness Program” in small and medium enterprises of the Constitutional Province of Callao, this program consists of nutritional assesment, educational workshops applying the Neuro Linguistic Programming Technique (NLP) and the Inspection of places that sell food. The service will be in charge of nutritionists and psychologists who will adapt the methodology according to the requirements of the contracting companies and the budget that they have, carrying out the activities in their facilities. With this we will contribute in improving the health of the beneficiaries by developing a loyalty, productivity and safety approach. Finally, the financial analysis found an internal rate of return and a net present value favorable which allows us to recommend the investment in this Project. / Tesis

Guidelines and laws prohibit smoking in public places, and evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of workplace wellness programs in promoting healthy environments. A long-term care (LTC) facility selected as the focus for this project does not offer wellness programs and does not restrict on-site smoking by employees. The purpose of this project was to construct an evidence-based smoking cessation education program for delivery to employees at the LTC facility. The practice-focused question addressed whether a workplace wellness smoking cessation education program would increase employees' knowledge of the harmful effects of smoking and promote engagement in smoking cessation strategies. A pretest and posttest to assess knowledge of the harmful effects of smoking was designed to be administered to employees prior to and after the education program. A panel of 6 experts consisting of 4 clinical nurse specialists, a nurse educator, and a nurse researcher was selected to assess the potential effectiveness of the education program. A 10-question survey was used to obtain the panel experts' evaluation of the program. Descriptive statistics were then used to analyze the results. Nearly all of the experts surveyed reported that they would recommend the education program to a friend or colleague, with 66% selecting "very likely" This is indicative of the potential for the program to be effective. Findings might support social change at the selected facility by increasing staff knowledge of the harmful effects of smoking and staff commitment to participating in a smoking cessation program.

Statement of the problem. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. It affects over 2.5 million people worldwide and approximately 350,000 Americans with new cases diagnosed weekly. MS significantly impacts activity participation, general health status, and quality of life. An extensive literature review reveals a gap in the rehabilitation and MS literature regarding evidence of the effectiveness of occupational therapy rehabilitation programs or occupational therapy wellness programs to improve the activity participation, general health and well-being, and quality of life for people living with MS. Methods. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared the long-term impact of an occupational therapy rehabilitation program, an occupational therapy wellness program, and a social activity program (control), on the occupational performance, general health and well-being, and quality of life of people living with MS, through repeated measures. Assessment tools used to measure occupational performance, general health and well-being and quality of life were the Occupational Self-Assessment, the Short Form-36 version 2 and the Quality of Life Inventory. Quality of life is a primary outcome in the provision of healthcare services for the chronically ill, and is the predominant measure in this clinical research, hence the choice of these assessment tools. Results. The effect of each of the group programs, rehabilitation, wellness and a social activity group was compared. Data were analyzed with MANOVA. The results yielded that the occupational therapy wellness group demonstrated a statistically significantly positive difference in the mental component summary measure of the SF-36v2 over the occupational therapy rehabilitation group (p = .093), two months post intervention. The results further revealed that the occupational therapy wellness group demonstrated a statistically significantly positive difference in the environmental impact scale of the OSA over the occupational therapy rehabilitation group (p = .115) and the social activity group (p = .065), over a period of three months. Conclusions. In this study an occupational therapy wellness approach showed statistically significantly positive effects on the environmental impact and mental health of people with MS over the long-term. This study also demonstrated the clinical significance associated with an occupational therapy rehabilitation and an occupational therapy wellness approach. These findings therefore contribute to evidence-based practice for the most effective occupational therapy interventions for persons with MS. This study was supported by grant #NSU012001 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and the Nova Southeastern University President's Scholarship Award 2001.

The purpose of this project was to create a business plan for a profitable, self-sustaining, program to build a bridge between physical therapists and fitness professionals. The Quick Fit Program was a new service for the existing business San Luis Sports Therapy. The program was designed to be implemented within each of the company’s physical therapy clinics in California using existing personnel and resources. The Quick Fit Program is one way in which physical therapy practices can diversify the services they offer to keep pace with the changing landscape of healthcare. Clients in the Quick Fit Program would receive an assessment of basic health and fitness during their initial visit. After the assessments, a licensed physical therapist debriefs each client and offers recommendations or referral to a physician or gym program as appropriate. Staff in the Quick Fit Program would also schedule a follow-up appointment three to six months from the date of the initial visit to assess any changes or improvements in health and fitness measures since the initial visit.

No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of the study was to determine if the health parameters of female employees would improve, as measured in the posttest data, following the completion of a 12-week employee wellness program. The participants included 17 female employees from the Carter County Health Department located in Elizabethton, Tennessee. The principle investigator assessed the changes in the pretests and posttests and analyzed the data using SPSS. The results showed on average an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption and in the number of days exercised per week as well as improved diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride levels. The employees who experienced weight loss, consumed at least four servings of fruit and vegetables per day, and exercised at least 30 minutes five or more days per week had the greatest improvement in health parameters.

Job dissatisfaction is becoming a fundamental concern for employers. Employee engagement makes an organization more productive and can reduce absenteeism. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between employer-sponsored wellness-program participation and job satisfaction among for-profit college and university leaders. Data collection involved an online survey of 400 faculty members' from for-profit universities in the United States contacted using the Job Satisfaction Survey; 103 participants completed the survey. The theoretical framework was the need-satisfaction theory, which includes the factors that promote job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction. The results came from a multiple regression analysis that indicated a significant negative relationship between job satisfaction and participation in the employer-sponsored wellness program (β = -.22, t = -2.24, p = .027), where faculty who were not participating in the wellness program had higher levels of job satisfaction (M = 3.62) in comparison to those who did participate (M = 3.80). Interaction analyses indicated a relationship between gender and job satisfaction (β = -.26, t = -2.70, p = .008). Females were more likely than were males to have higher levels of job satisfaction, as well as years of experience and job satisfaction. Faculty who had been employed for between 11 and 15 years were more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction. Job satisfaction appear lower for those who participate in employer-sponsored wellness programs because of the personal gratification employees' experience. The findings may contribute to social change with information that leaders could use to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity, and profitability.

Förekomsten av högt blodtryck, högt BMI och förhöjda blodfetter är mycket vanlig både på global nivå och i Sverige och bidrar årligen till en stor del av sjukdomsbördan. Dessa metabola riskfaktorer är orsaken till flera allvarliga sjukdomar och förtidig död. Livsstilsförändringar i form av kostomläggning och fysisk aktivitet har visats vara effektiva i att minska dessa riskfaktorer och därmed reducera risken för sjukdom. Syftet med studien var att undersöka förändringar i metabola riskfaktorer hos deltagare i en sju dagar lång livsstilsintervention i form av steps4life hälsoveckor. Data från sammanlagt 136 deltagare från nio hälsoveckor utförda mellan år 2013–2017 analyserades. Antropometriska variabler, blodprov och blodtryck insamlades vid baslinjen, efter sju dagar samt vid uppföljning efter fem månader. Resultaten visade att deltagarna i hälsoveckan efter sju dagar hade signifikant lägre nivåer av total kolesterol, LDL kolesterol och triglycerider, utan att HDL kolesterol påverkades. Störst förändring kunde ses hos dem som vid baslinjen hade nivåer av LDL kolesterol och triglycerider som låg över gällande riktvärden. I studien framkom även att en signifikant minskning både i systoliskt och diastoliskt blodtryck kunde ses hos personer som vid baslinjen hade förhöjda blodtrycksnivåer. Vid uppföljning fem månader efter hälsoveckan sågs signifikant lägre nivåer av total kolesterol och LDL kolesterol än vid baslinjen. Minskning i triglycerider vid uppföljningen sågs för dem som hade förhöjda nivåer vid baslinjen. Inga signifikanta skillnader i vikt eller BMI kunde ses mellan baslinjen och efter fem månader. Trots att inga orsakssamband kan dras så är resultaten i linje med tidigare studier där liknande förändringar har kunnat påvisas under samma tidsperiod. Programmet vid steps4life hälsoveckor kan därför vara ett bra sätt att minska flera metabola riskfaktorer och därmed förebygga sjukdom. Fler och längre studier med större studiegrupper och en starkare studiedesign behövs för att utvärdera kort och långsiktiga effekter av programmet. / The prevalence of high blood pressure, high BMI and elevated blood lipids is very common both at a global level and in Sweden. A large part of the disease burden annually can be attributed to these risk factors. Several serious diseases and premature death is caused by these metabolic risk factors. Lifestyle changes in terms of dietary change and physical activity have been shown to be effective in lowering metabolic these specific risk factors and thus reducing the risk of disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in metabolic risk factors among participants in a seven-day lifestyle intervention in the form of the steps4life health program. Data from a total of 136 participants from nine health programs arranged between 2013-2017 were analyzed. Anthropometric variables, blood samples and blood pressure were collected at baseline after seven days as well as at a follow-up after five months. The results showed that after seven days, participants in the health program had significantly lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides without affecting HDL cholesterol. The biggest change was seen in those who at baseline had levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides that were above current recommendations. The study also found that a significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure could be seen in subjects that had elevated blood pressure levels at baseline. At follow-up five months after the health program, significantly lower mean levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were observed. Reduction in triglycerides at follow-up was observed for those who had elevated levels at baseline. No significant differences in weight or BMI could be seen between baseline and after five months. Although no causational relationships can be concluded, the results are in line with previous studies where a similar change has been demonstrated in the same timeframe. The steps4life health program can therefore be a good way to reduce multiple metabolic risk factors and thus prevent disease. More and longer studies with larger study groups and a stronger study design are needed to evaluate short and long term effects of the program.