Staff and student health and wellness at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University: current status and needs assessment
Background: Emphasis is currently placed on the importance of employee and student wellness initiatives. The aim was to assess staff and student health status at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Stellenbosch University (SU), and to conduct a wellness needs assessment. Methods: Onl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2018-07-01
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| Series: | South African Family Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/4873 |
| _version_ | 1818567448612306944 |
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| author | N. Koen L. Philips S. Potgieter Y. Smit E. van Niekerk D. G. Nel J. Visser |
| author_facet | N. Koen L. Philips S. Potgieter Y. Smit E. van Niekerk D. G. Nel J. Visser |
| author_sort | N. Koen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Emphasis is currently placed on the importance of employee and student wellness initiatives. The aim was to assess staff and student health status at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Stellenbosch University (SU), and to conduct a wellness needs assessment.
Methods: Online, self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data concerning staff and students. Additionally, students’ anthropometric and biochemical parameters were assessed. Summary statistics, correlation coefficients and appropriate analysis of variance were used for data analyses.
Results: Data were obtained from staff (survey: n = 300) and students (screening: n = 536; survey: n = 330). Some 58% (n = 174) of staff had a self-reported BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m2 whilst mean screening values for all variables fell within normal reference ranges for students. In all, 78% (n = 232) of staff reported to exercise 150 min/week and 28% (n = 91) of students were sedentary for 8 h/day; 63% (n = 188) of staff expressed the need to make better food choices, 17% (n = 55) of students were aware of the need to change but experienced reluctance, and both staff and students felt dietary assistance would be beneficial (43% vs. 46%). In addition, 79% of staff (n = 208) and 42% of students (n = 138) reported being under constant pressure.
Conclusion: Much can be done to improve the health and well-being of both staff and students at the FMHS, SU. Wellness is a multifactorial concept; as such, health-promotional strategies for classrooms and workplaces should consider all factors in order to provide a holistic approach and potentially identify those who are at risk of a sub-optimal wellness status. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T06:23:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9c0a7883d2e94b38ba3d078c2d2c2050 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2078-6190 2078-6204 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T06:23:32Z |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Family Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-9c0a7883d2e94b38ba3d078c2d2c20502022-12-21T23:13:44ZengAOSISSouth African Family Practice2078-61902078-62042018-07-0160310.4102/safp.v60i3.48733850Staff and student health and wellness at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University: current status and needs assessmentN. Koen0L. Philips1S. Potgieter2Y. Smit3E. van Niekerk4D. G. Nel5J. Visser6Stellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch UniversityBackground: Emphasis is currently placed on the importance of employee and student wellness initiatives. The aim was to assess staff and student health status at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Stellenbosch University (SU), and to conduct a wellness needs assessment. Methods: Online, self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data concerning staff and students. Additionally, students’ anthropometric and biochemical parameters were assessed. Summary statistics, correlation coefficients and appropriate analysis of variance were used for data analyses. Results: Data were obtained from staff (survey: n = 300) and students (screening: n = 536; survey: n = 330). Some 58% (n = 174) of staff had a self-reported BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m2 whilst mean screening values for all variables fell within normal reference ranges for students. In all, 78% (n = 232) of staff reported to exercise 150 min/week and 28% (n = 91) of students were sedentary for 8 h/day; 63% (n = 188) of staff expressed the need to make better food choices, 17% (n = 55) of students were aware of the need to change but experienced reluctance, and both staff and students felt dietary assistance would be beneficial (43% vs. 46%). In addition, 79% of staff (n = 208) and 42% of students (n = 138) reported being under constant pressure. Conclusion: Much can be done to improve the health and well-being of both staff and students at the FMHS, SU. Wellness is a multifactorial concept; as such, health-promotional strategies for classrooms and workplaces should consider all factors in order to provide a holistic approach and potentially identify those who are at risk of a sub-optimal wellness status.https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/4873health scienceshealth screeningonline surveystaff and student wellness |
| spellingShingle | N. Koen L. Philips S. Potgieter Y. Smit E. van Niekerk D. G. Nel J. Visser Staff and student health and wellness at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University: current status and needs assessment South African Family Practice health sciences health screening online survey staff and student wellness |
| title | Staff and student health and wellness at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University: current status and needs assessment |
| title_full | Staff and student health and wellness at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University: current status and needs assessment |
| title_fullStr | Staff and student health and wellness at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University: current status and needs assessment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Staff and student health and wellness at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University: current status and needs assessment |
| title_short | Staff and student health and wellness at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University: current status and needs assessment |
| title_sort | staff and student health and wellness at the faculty of medicine and health sciences stellenbosch university current status and needs assessment |
| topic | health sciences health screening online survey staff and student wellness |
| url | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/4873 |
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