Assessing Wellness Improvement in an Academic Health Center: A Three-Week Wellness Challenge
Location
CALS
Publication Date
June 2024
Start Date
1-6-2024 9:00 AM
Description
Wellness activities may play a crucial role in medical academic institutions and workplaces by fostering positive lifestyle changes and enhancing overall well-being. For example, workplace wellness programs are associated with improvements in specific dietary, anthropometric, and cardiometabolic risk indicators (Penvalo et. al., 2021). In academic health centers, where stress levels can be particularly high, promoting wellness could be an important way to maintain the health and performance of both students and employees. This study evaluates the impact of the Wellness Challenge, organized by the Campus Assistance Program at LSUHSC, on the overall well-being of its voluntary participants. Open to all LSUHSC students and employees, the study compared participants' wellness scores before and after the 3-week team-based program. Additionally, it investigated changes in participants' wellness activities during the program. During the Wellness Challenge, participants were encouraged to track specific wellness activities over three weeks. In addition, participants monitored the frequency of adequate hydration, sleep time, nutrition, mindfulness, and physical exercise. This self-monitoring mechanism was included to help individuals become more aware of their habits and establish consistent engagement in health-promoting behaviors. The primary outcome variable is the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS), a validated 36-item instrument that quantifies participants' perceived wellness. We will compare pre-and post-program data and report the changes in wellness composite scores and specific PWS subscales. The study also investigated participants’ satisfaction with the Wellness Challenge and collected qualitative data regarding participants’ experience. This research aims to contribute to the understanding of wellness programs in academic health centers and provides valuable insights for future wellness initiatives aimed at improving overall well-being.
Recommended Citation
Le, Viet BS; Shapiro, Mary PhD; Bishop-Baier, Margaret MD; and Embley, Scott LCSW, "Assessing Wellness Improvement in an Academic Health Center: A Three-Week Wellness Challenge" (2024). Dept. of Psychiatry Research Symposium. 7.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/psych_rd/2024/posters/7
Assessing Wellness Improvement in an Academic Health Center: A Three-Week Wellness Challenge
CALS
Wellness activities may play a crucial role in medical academic institutions and workplaces by fostering positive lifestyle changes and enhancing overall well-being. For example, workplace wellness programs are associated with improvements in specific dietary, anthropometric, and cardiometabolic risk indicators (Penvalo et. al., 2021). In academic health centers, where stress levels can be particularly high, promoting wellness could be an important way to maintain the health and performance of both students and employees. This study evaluates the impact of the Wellness Challenge, organized by the Campus Assistance Program at LSUHSC, on the overall well-being of its voluntary participants. Open to all LSUHSC students and employees, the study compared participants' wellness scores before and after the 3-week team-based program. Additionally, it investigated changes in participants' wellness activities during the program. During the Wellness Challenge, participants were encouraged to track specific wellness activities over three weeks. In addition, participants monitored the frequency of adequate hydration, sleep time, nutrition, mindfulness, and physical exercise. This self-monitoring mechanism was included to help individuals become more aware of their habits and establish consistent engagement in health-promoting behaviors. The primary outcome variable is the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS), a validated 36-item instrument that quantifies participants' perceived wellness. We will compare pre-and post-program data and report the changes in wellness composite scores and specific PWS subscales. The study also investigated participants’ satisfaction with the Wellness Challenge and collected qualitative data regarding participants’ experience. This research aims to contribute to the understanding of wellness programs in academic health centers and provides valuable insights for future wellness initiatives aimed at improving overall well-being.