scholarly journals Online health promotion program and individualized health coaching for veteran wellbeing

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-26
Author(s):  
Devangi Patel ◽  
Kayleigh Beaveridge ◽  
Zoe O'Neill ◽  
Ilka Lowensteyn ◽  
Mohammed Kaouache ◽  
...  

The pandemic has highlighted the need for accessible and effective health promotion as Canadians are isolated from their communities during social distancing measures. A web-based health promotion program in which participants also received individualized email-based health coaching from medical students has been available during the pandemic to empower veterans and their family members to engage in healthy lifestyle change. Health coaches’ email interactions with participants used techniques of motivational interviewing, including an empathetic style, statements of affirmation, and reflections. Open-ended questions were useful in gaining insight into the participant’s current lifestyle, including habits, challenges, and coping strategies. As services have transitioned online and individuals have become more isolated, the connection formed between online health coaches and individuals participating in the health promotion program became crucial in countering the mental and physical health repercussions of the pandemic. In a preliminary analysis, we show that web-based health promotion with health coaching, for Canadian Veterans and their families, leads to significant weight loss, increased activity and improvement in wellbeing metrics such as sleep and stress. The medical students acting as health coaches were able to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges involved in behaviour change, something that is seldom covered in detail in the medical school curricula. Medical students were also able to practice their motivational counseling skills surrounding lifestyle changes. Given the lack of available evidence for web-based health promotion that targets veterans and their families, these preliminary results appear promising, with longer-term follow-up planned for the next two years.

1988 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 722-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
G R Parkerson ◽  
H J Eisenson ◽  
K A Munning ◽  
J L Michener ◽  
M J Helms

2016 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 375-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Lyssenko ◽  
Gerhard Müller ◽  
Nikolaus Kleindienst ◽  
Christian Schmahl ◽  
Mathias Berger ◽  
...  

1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Andrew Wood ◽  
Gary W. Olmstead ◽  
James L. Craig

The purpose of this article is to compare health risk factors and rates of absenteeism of employees at General Mills, Inc. after participating for two years in a voluntary, self-directed health promotion program, called the “TriHealthalon.” Twelve hundred field sales employees were initially targeted to participate in this program, which focused on improving participants' physical, mental, and social well-being. Participants were asked to fill out a computerized lifestyle appraisal form before they started the program in 1985, and again in 1986. The rates of absenteeism were monitored for each individual in the participant and nonparticipant groups for the years 1984 (before the program started), 1985, and 1986. T-tests were performed to compare the rate of absenteeism between the two groups. Observations show that after two years in the TriHealthalon program, there was an increase in healthy lifestyle behaviors in the participant group, with a five percent decrease in the number of smokers, a 37 percent increase in the number of people who use their seat belts, and a 23 percent increase in the number of people who exercise three times a week. There was no significant difference in absenteeism between the groups in 1984, before the program began. Absenteeism was significantly (p < .05) less in the participant group during 1985 and 1986 after the initiation of the program.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Soon Kang ◽  
Hyun Sook Kang ◽  
Younhee Jeong

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 757-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Traci M. Schwinn ◽  
Steven Schinke ◽  
Lin Fang ◽  
Suganthi Kandasamy

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 1027-1037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Byrne ◽  
Lori A. Rolando ◽  
Muktar H. Aliyu ◽  
Paula W. McGown ◽  
Lisa R. Connor ◽  
...  

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