Matching Items (5)
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- All Subjects: Wellness
- Creators: Levinson, Simin
Description
This project studies trends in the corporate wellness sphere and what companies are currently doing to promote wellness among their employees. It outlines several key studies on diabetes and obesity and shows the economic impact these lifestyle diseases have on the healthcare system. It also covers how the Affordable Care Act is supporting preventative behavior, how companies are promoting wellness, and the long-term benefits of doing so. It examines the effectiveness of current corporate wellness programs, highlights best practices, and identifies areas for improvement. These findings are used to propose a realistic, holistic corporate wellness plan that will promote wellness among employees and reduce a companies' long-term healthcare costs.
ContributorsRobottom, Danielle P. (Author) / Hall, Rick (Thesis director) / Levinson, Simin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
This project studies trends in the corporate wellness sphere and what companies are currently doing to promote wellness among their employees. It outlines several key studies on diabetes and obesity and shows the economic impact these lifestyle diseases have on the healthcare system. It also covers how the Affordable Care Act is supporting preventative behavior, how companies are promoting wellness, and the long-term benefits of doing so. It examines the effectiveness of current corporate wellness programs, highlights best practices, and identifies areas for improvement. These findings are used to propose a realistic, holistic corporate wellness plan that will promote wellness among employees and reduce a companies' long-term healthcare costs.
ContributorsRobottom, Danielle P. (Author) / Hall, Rick (Thesis director) / Levinson, Simin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Sedentary behavior has recently been recognized as a widespread, independent risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality from chronic conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Midlife women (age 40-64) are known to have high levels of sedentary behavior and corresponding cardiovascular disease risk. Currently, little is known about mechanisms involved in reducing and maintaining reductions to sedentary behavior in midlife women. Theory-based nursing interventions are needed which reflect process, personal meaning, person-environment interaction, and incorporate a strength-based perspective. Wellness Motivation Theory guided the research, conceptualizing behavioral change processes within culturally and environmentally relevant contexts, while recognizing bidirectional influences of personal and environmental factors on behavioral patterns. The Wellness Motivation Theory addresses social support and norms, community and material resources that influence behavioral choices, individual motivation and goals, and the behavioral change processes of self-knowledge, motivational appraisal, and self-regulation. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to explore social contextual resources and behavior change processes leading to action as decreasing sedentary time in midlife women. The maximum variation sample included 31 midlife women, employees of Arizona State University. Participants attended a one-hour focus group to discuss their experiences with sedentary behavior, and their efforts to sit less and move more. Midlife women characterized social support as: Raising Me Up, Timing Time and Walking and Talking. Support from contextual resources reflected themes of Seeking Place, Stepping Up, and Walking the Talk. Women experienced self-knowledge as Envisioning the Future, Taking Inventory, and Considering Possibles. Motivational appraisal was characterized as Reevaluating Priorities, Wayfinding, and Going All In. Self-regulation was reflected as Recounting Benefits, Keeping On Track, and Creating New Ways. A deeper understanding of motivational processes central to reducing sedentary behavior in midlife women fosters identification of leverage points for future theory-based intervention research which provides primary prevention opportunities to lower cardiovascular disease risk, and promote successful aging.
ContributorsSherman, Tanie (Author) / Fleury, Julie (Thesis advisor) / Belyea, Michael (Committee member) / Komnenich, Pauline (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
Water makes up about 45-70% of a human body's total weight. It is estimated that 80% of the human brain's tissue is composed of water. Cognitive productivity is altered when the body is in a mere 2% dehydrated state. Several cognitive functions impacted by dehydration include: visual motor tracing, short-term recall, attentiveness, and mathematic efficiency. It is estimated that 80% of the U.S. adult population endures the majority of their day in a mildly dehydrated state.
Participants were employees working full-time jobs with Arizona State University or Tri Star Motor Company. Employees had to be 18 or older were invited to join the study. Employees participating in the study lived within the the greater Phoenix area. Participants of all races, genders, activity statuses, and BMIs were encouraged to join.
A one-arm, pre-test, post-test study design was utilized. We examined whether the hydration status of participants in the intervention improved or worsened during the course of the intervention, and then attributed any such improvement or deterioration to the intervention. Urine collections from an afternoon sample were gathered before and after the one-week intervention. For the intervention, the participating offices received a water dispensing system in close proximity to employee desk spaces. A reusable water bottle was also given to each participant. Urine specific gravity (USG) was assessed in all urine samples to indicate hydration status, and all participants completed water intake surveys before and after the intervention.
From this study, the overall change in water intake over the course of the one-week intervention was 143 ounces/day. This is an average of adding two and a half 8 oz glasses of water each day of the week per participant. USG also decreased significantly at the end of the intervention in comparison to the baseline value. In the greater body of research, this study strengthens the viability of inputting a hydration station and offering reusable water bottles to employees. This cost-effective method is an easy way to incorporate employee wellness in the workplace. The benefit of employees to drink more water is numerous, including increased focus, mental reactivity, and overall mood and wellness.
Participants were employees working full-time jobs with Arizona State University or Tri Star Motor Company. Employees had to be 18 or older were invited to join the study. Employees participating in the study lived within the the greater Phoenix area. Participants of all races, genders, activity statuses, and BMIs were encouraged to join.
A one-arm, pre-test, post-test study design was utilized. We examined whether the hydration status of participants in the intervention improved or worsened during the course of the intervention, and then attributed any such improvement or deterioration to the intervention. Urine collections from an afternoon sample were gathered before and after the one-week intervention. For the intervention, the participating offices received a water dispensing system in close proximity to employee desk spaces. A reusable water bottle was also given to each participant. Urine specific gravity (USG) was assessed in all urine samples to indicate hydration status, and all participants completed water intake surveys before and after the intervention.
From this study, the overall change in water intake over the course of the one-week intervention was 143 ounces/day. This is an average of adding two and a half 8 oz glasses of water each day of the week per participant. USG also decreased significantly at the end of the intervention in comparison to the baseline value. In the greater body of research, this study strengthens the viability of inputting a hydration station and offering reusable water bottles to employees. This cost-effective method is an easy way to incorporate employee wellness in the workplace. The benefit of employees to drink more water is numerous, including increased focus, mental reactivity, and overall mood and wellness.
ContributorsWildermuth, Kelsi (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / Dixon, Kathleen (Committee member) / Levinson, Simin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
Description
The number of refugees experiencing displacement is 25.9 million worldwide, with the majority in the last 7 years from Syria. While international government organizations and researchers have called for assessment of refugee health and wellness, research in this vulnerable population is limited. This dissertation is built around humanizing refugee research on health and wellness. The introduction in Chapter 1 provides an overview for the three resulting chapters which are (a) a grounded theory study to gain insight into the lives of Syrian refugees living in displacement; (b) a systematic literature review on wellness in Syrian refugees in displacement; and (c) a concept analysis to examine wellness from the perspective of Syrian refugee women within the context of displacement. Chapter 5 includes the summary, discussion, and recommendations for future research.
Chapter 2 consists of three themes which shaped the lives of Syrian refugees during displacement: (a) assets and deficits; (b) official obstacles and supports; and (c) unofficial obstacles and supports. Health emerged as a priority for the refugees which included many dimensions related to the quality of their health and health needs. The results of Chapter 2 precipitated in using wellness as a holistic lens to view Syrian refugee’s health and health needs in Chapter 3. The results of Chapter 3 added a more holistic view of Syrian refugee health, while highlighting the need for improved research methods addressing wellness in Syrian refugees. Chapter 4 clarifies and defines wellness from the perspective of Syrian refugee women.
Chapter 2 consists of three themes which shaped the lives of Syrian refugees during displacement: (a) assets and deficits; (b) official obstacles and supports; and (c) unofficial obstacles and supports. Health emerged as a priority for the refugees which included many dimensions related to the quality of their health and health needs. The results of Chapter 2 precipitated in using wellness as a holistic lens to view Syrian refugee’s health and health needs in Chapter 3. The results of Chapter 3 added a more holistic view of Syrian refugee health, while highlighting the need for improved research methods addressing wellness in Syrian refugees. Chapter 4 clarifies and defines wellness from the perspective of Syrian refugee women.
ContributorsWofford, Danielle (Author) / Komnenich, Pauline (Thesis advisor) / Fleury, Julie (Thesis advisor) / Klimek, Barbara (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020