Effectiveness of a worksite health promotion program to improve health-related quality of life indicators

Health and wellness is essential to each individual's quality of life. The importance of health and wellness is not only of an individual concern but also a population-based societal concern. Currently there is growing epidemic or obesity as 65% of American adults are either overweight or obese. The work setting is an ideal location to foster healthy behaviors as most adults spend the majority of their day there. The need for health-related activities is supported in many different types of workplaces, especially in higher education settings. This study aimed to explore the relationship of a health promotion program using pedometers on the health-related indicators of the SF-36v2 and vital functioning of the participants in a college setting. The association of participant's health promotion level to changes in health-related indicators and vital functioning was also explored. A pre-test post-test experimental design was conducted with a convenience sample of 29 participants. All 29 participants completed the pre-test, the 6 week health promotion program using pedometers, and the first post-test (post-test 1). Only 15 individuals completed the second post-test (post-test 2) which was administered six months after the completion of the health promotion program. Paired sample t tests analyzed the difference in scores of each participant from pre-test (baseline) to post-test 1. The paired sample t tests reported a significant improvement in the component summary and subtests of the SF 36v2 such as the mental health component summary (p = .013), physical functioning (p = .015), vitality (p = .033), and mental health (p = .005). The linear regression analysis revealed mental health component summary scores were a highly significant predictor of vitality (β = 1.075, p = .001), accounting for 50.5% of the variance in vitality. Vitality is unique to each individual. This construct can affects one's ability to activity engage in their roles and occupations. Health and wellness support role performance. The roles of most adults consist of worker, friend, and family member. Fulfillment of roles and meaningful activities supports balance and quality of life. Having the physical and mental capability to perform one's roles in a variety of contexts leads to engagement and satisfaction. Sustenance of a healthy lifestyle via physical activity is also an integral component of wellness. Utilizing technology and support within the social, virtual, and physical environments have all been shown by this study to improve quality of life indicators. Improvements were noted to statistically support the use of pedometers, points of decision prompts, and email correspondence to increase physical activity levels as well as stages of health promotion