This study was conducted to determine if a worksite health promotion program could affect work stress, fitness, and anxiety among employees at a state institution serving the mentally handicapped. Work stress is becoming a problem as it has been linked to cardiovascular disease, poor morale, and absenteeism. The human service field is a stressful one, especially in the institutional setting where care givers provide 24 hour services and are responsible for the welfare of others. / The subjects of this study were state employees at Landmark Learning Center, in Miami, Florida. A majority were at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to lack of exercise, obesity, and stressful working conditions. A high percentage of employees were black and female, a group considered at high risk for CVD. / Two experimental treatments were employed: exercise and relaxation training. Both have become popular components of worksite health promotion programs. There were ninety subjects divided equally into three groups. Participants volunteered for an exercise group or a relaxation training group. A waiting list was selected from these volunteers to form the control group. / Exercise consisted of aerobic walking. The relaxation training consisted of muscle relaxation. The control group received no treatment. The study used a pre/post experimental design. The following measures were taken: physical fitness (Rockport Walking Test, weight, heart rate, and blood pressure); work stress (Work Stress Inventory); anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). Both treatment groups lasted eight weeks. / All pre/post measures were converted to percent change scores. Analysis consisted of these statistical tests: Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA); Analysis of Variance (ANOVA); and the Duncan Multiple Range Test. Results indicated that the walking group demonstrated significant changes in improved physical fitness and reductions in work stress. The relaxation training group demonstrated reductions in work stress, but they were not statistically significant. The relaxation group demonstrated statistically significant reductions in trait anxiety, while the walking group did not. / Findings revealed that a worksite walking program can reduce work stress and improve physical fitness in a relatively short time. Relaxation training was associated with reduced anxiety levels. These results will be valuable to policy makers, particularly in state government, who can make decisions on the future of worksite health promotion programs. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-12, Section: A, page: 3590. / Major Professor: Irwin Jahns. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77904 |
| Contributors | Miller, Alan Jay., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 151 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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