A wellness program for individuals with disabilities: Using a student wellness coach approach (original) (raw)
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Rehabilitation Psychology, 2004
Objective: To examine physicians' attitudes, personal wellness behaviors, and wellness promotion practices with their patients who were living with a disability. Design and Participants: A 20-item survey was mailed to 1,200 physicians from a national stratified random sample. Responses were received from 417 physicians (34.8% response rate). Results: Physicians who reported engaging in high levels of wellness promotion with their patients with disabilities rated wellness promotion as more important and reported feeling more competent and responsible. Several barriers and incentives to wellness promotion were reported. Conclusions: Physicians' attitudes and perceived competencies may influence their wellness promotion activities with their patients with disabilities. Medical training modules and other methods may increase physicians' wellness promotion activities.
Efficacy of a Student-Focused Wellness Program
The percentage of American adults considered overweight and/or obese is continuing to increase, with specific populations such as college students being at greater risk for becoming overweight or obese. Higher education institutions have the potential to reduce this risk by encouraging students to develop and maintain active lifestyles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a university wellness program for students. Thirty-four participants completed a 12 week fitness program called the Biggest User, which included pre- and post-health and fitness assessments, training sessions with certified personal trainers, nutrition consultations, and various other events such as seminars on health-related topics and weekly challenges aimed at incorporating healthy habits into daily life. Participants significantly improved their seated diastolic pressure, 3-minute step test, and number of pushups, but all other variables were non-significant. Findings indicate that positive changes are possible in a structured intervention program for students, but further evaluation and modification of this program may be necessary to achieve improved benefits.
Overview of a Student-Focused Wellness Initiative
Researchers have reported that the percentage of Americans considered overweight or obese continues to increase. Specific populations, such as university students, may be at greater risk for becoming overweight or obese. This can be combated by the significant health benefits accrued from regular exercise and physical activity; thus it is important that universities develop and implement methods to incorporate healthy living into its students' lives. The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of a college-student focused wellness initiative known as the Biggest User program. The Biggest User addresses components related to beginning and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a particular focus on structured exercise, physical activity, and dietary choices. A secondary purpose of the paper is to provide a template for the creation of similar programs at university wellness centers, as such centers are increasingly seeking new and innovative approaches to improving health and wellness of its constituents (Talley, 2013).
2020
This study explored the health experiences and health promotion needs of college students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) through individual interviews with current college seniors and recent college graduates with IDD, as well as support staff within a Southeastern university's inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) program. Interviews with college seniors and recent graduates with IDD involved photo elicitation and a Q-sorting exercise. Interviews with IPSE program staff involved reactions to the Q-sorting results of the interviewees with IDD. Thematic findings from current college seniors/recent college graduates with IDD and IPSE program staff are discussed.
Adherence and Continued Participation in a Wellness Class for Individuals with Disabilities
Rehabilitation Process and Outcome, 2019
Background: For individuals with disabilities, adherence and participation in wellness programs is a challenge. Adherence and participation were explored in a wellness class for people with disabilities. Objective: Understand what factors impact participant adherence and participation in the wellness class. Methods: Eight wellness class participants, who have been in the class for 6 to 36 months, were chosen for qualitative interviews. Interview responses were coded and analyzed for overarching themes. Results: A total of 77 codes were obtained from interview data. The primary theme identified from the codes was related to social interaction with the student-trainers, divided into subthemes of social accountability, motivation, supporting classroom environment, and participant-student interaction. Conclusion: The primary factor influencing adherence and participation was related to social interaction with student-trainers. These results suggest that social interaction can play a maj...
Healthy lifestyles for people with disabilities
Calif J Health …, 2004
People with disabilities are more susceptible to compromised health status and preventable secondary conditions. A Healthy Lifestyles curriculum was developed as a health promotion program for people with disabilities. Using the curriculum, ten free 2½-day workshops were provided for people with various disabilities in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Workshops were conducted in collaboration with local entities such as Centers for Independent Living. The workshops took an integrated approach to health, addressing connections among physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health, and health through meaningful activities. During workshops, the participants obtained health information and experienced healthy activities such as yoga and non-impact aerobics, both tailored for people with disabilities. At the end of the workshop, each participant identified two healthy lifestyle goals to work toward. Progress and/or barriers in accomplishing those goals were shared in support groups for 6-9 months. Preliminary results indicate early and sustained improvements in health behaviors and health-related attitudes. The Healthy Lifestyles program offers a promising approach to promoting health among people with disabilities.
Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, 2016
Supporting the transition of people with newly acquired and existing disability from rehabilitation into community-based health/wellness programs, services, and venues requires rehabilitation professionals to build evidence by capturing successful strategies at the local level, finding innovative ways to translate successful practices to other communities, and ultimately to upgrade and maintain their applicability and currency for future scale-up. This article describes a knowledgeto-practice framework housed in a national resource and practice center that will support therapists and other rehabilitation professionals in building and maintaining a database of successful health/wellness guidelines, recommendations, and adaptations to promote community health inclusion for people with disabilities. A framework was developed in the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) to systematically build and advance the evidence base of health/wellness programs, practices, and services applicable to people with disabilities. N-KATS (NCHPAD Knowledge Adaptation, Translation, and Scale-up) has 4 sequencing strategies: strategy 1new evidence-and practice-based knowledge is collected and adapted for the local context (ie, community); strategy 2-customized resources are effectively disseminated to key stakeholders including rehabilitation professionals with appropriate training tools; strategy
Implementation science : IS, 2014
Evidence-based health promotion programs developed and tested in the general population typically exclude people with disabilities. To address this gap, a set of methods and criteria were created to adapt evidence-based health promotion programs for people with disabilities. In this first study, we describe a framework for adapting evidence-based obesity prevention strategies for people with disabilities. We illustrate how the framework has been used to adapt the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) obesity prevention strategies for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. The development of inclusion guidelines, recommendations and adaptations for obesity prevention (referred to as GRAIDs--Guidelines, Recommendations, Adaptations Including Disability) consists of five components: (i) a scoping review of the published and grey literature; (ii) an expert workgroup composed of nationally recognized leaders in disability and health promotion who ...
Healthy lifestyle for people with intellectual disabilities through a health intervention program
Open Journal of Nursing, 2012
There are well known gaps related to health care service and public health interventions for people with Intellectual Disabilities (ID), but there is still lack of research information of what nurses can do to reducing health disparities of persons with ID. The present study aimed at exploring the views of people with ID about a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and to take part in a health promotion program. A qualitative method was an appropriate method for capturing the informants' points of view. Participants were adults with intellectual disability who would be able to give their consent verbally and in written form. Women (n = 7) and men (n = 6). Data were collected from focus group interviews and analysed according to a qualitative content analysis of the tape-recorded and verbatim transcribed interviews. The participants took part in four workshops about healthy food, and ten physical activities addressing the connection to physical, social and emotional health. The results of the focus group interviews show that participants have knowledge about the importance of a healthy lifestyle for good health including physical activity and healthy food. Participants also describe social interaction and self-determination as important aspects in their life. It could then be concluded that the health promotion program result point at consciousness about a healthy lifestyle. There is still lack of research information of what public health nurses can do to reducing health disparities of persons with ID. Public health nurses work in community-based services and therefore they also might support persons with ID through health intervention programs.