Relationship Between Nonprescribed Therapy Use for Illness Prevention and Health Promotion and Health-Related Quality of Life

Examining health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a rural setting can be beneficial for improving rural household policies and fostering public health promotion. The objective of this study was to measure the HRQOL and associated socioeconomic characteristics as well as test the reliability of the Amharic version of SF-8 (eight-item short form of HRQOL survey). A cross-sectional study was employed in three agroecologically different sites in rural Ethiopia, involving 270 household heads (218 male and 52 female) with a mean age ± standard deviation of 49 ± 12.88 years. The survey material consisted of a structured questionnaire for socioeconomic characteristics and SF-8 for HRQOL. The mean physical and mental component summary score of the whole sample was 30.50 ± 12.18 and 34.40 ± 7.26, respectively, well underneath the instrument average of 50. The SF-8 items showed excellent internal consistency in terms of both Cronbach’s α coefficients and item–total correlation. In stepwise multiple linear regression, the low-income group had worse self-perceived physical health than the higher-income groups. Likewise, a diversified livelihood had a profound influence on positive self-perceived physical health. These findings imply that developing and distributing wide-ranging socioeconomic and public health policies is crucial for effective health promotion in rural communities.

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Effect of a Worksite Walking Competition on Health-Related Quality of Life Among University Employees

American Journal of Undergraduate Research ◽

10.33697/ajur.2015.013 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Breanna Orozco ◽

Lisa Leininger ◽

Kendra Contente

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Health Promotion ◽

Short Form ◽

Control Group ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

University Employees ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

Worksite health promotion programs (WHPPs) aim to improve the health and wellness of employees in an effort to improve health related quality of life (HRQOL). The effect of exercise on improving HRQOL is well documented among clinical populations. However, few studies have examined the effect of WHPPs on HRQOL. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a six-week “Workplace Walk-Off Competition” (WWC) on HRQOL among university employees. One hundred and nine university employees were included in this study (WWC group: n=47, Control group: n=62). All study participants completed the Short Form 12 Question, Version 2 (SF-12v2), a HRQOL questionnaire, before and after the WWC. The SF-12v2 questionnaire determines HRQOL based on two components and reports scores for a physical component summary (PCS) score and a mental component summary (MCS) score. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed on PCS and MCS scores, followed by dependent t-tests for each group. There was no significant difference in PCS or MCS scores between the groups. Further, there were no statistically significant changes in PCS or MCS scores (p>.05) among either group, following the six-week WWC. Although much research deems WHPPs effective for improving many health indicators, this short-term program was not effective in improving PCS and MCS components of HRQOL. KEYWORDS: Quality of Life, Health Promotion, Walking Competition, University Employees

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