1. Chapter 15 Health, Wellness, and Quality of Life
Terrance Robertson, Matthew Symonds,
Michael Muehlenbein, and Clifford Robertson
Chapter 15 Health, Wellness, and Quality of Life

2. Learning Outcomes Describe three current trends in health
Explain at least four factors that affect health
Identify the factors that affect your personal wellness
Explain a model used by parks, recreation, and leisure professionals
Describe the role of parks and recreation professionals in developing and maintaining health lifestyles

3. Definition of Health
“A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity”
(World Health Organization, 1947)

4. Times Are Changing Technology-based, modern societies
Aging populations
Rising obesity rates
Increased incidence and prevalence of lifestyle-related disease

5. Obesity Contributes to 4 of the top 10 causes of death.
Staggering economic costs—$90 billion in
Three quarters of the total health cost in the United States is tied to lifestyle-related chronic disease.

6. A Global Perspective: Health Issues Are Shared Around the World

7. World Leisure Organization— Seven Tenets
Leisure is an essential element of the human experience.
Participation in leisure pursuits contributes to health.
Leisure engagement contributes to the health capacity of a community.
A lack of access to or participation in health-based leisure adversely affects a person’s long-term health capacity.
(continued)

8. World Leisure Organization— Seven Tenets (continued)
A variety of factors influence the provision of leisure-related resources and opportunities.
The environment and human experiences are linked and affect leisure experiences.
Governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private-sector entities must be engaged in the process of planning, monitoring, and advancing the roles of leisure, recreation, and play as deterrents to lifestyle-related illnesses and disease (World Leisure Organization, 2012).

9. Factors That Affect Health
Biological and genetic factors
Environmental factors
Access to and utilization of health care
Health behaviors

10. Examples of Models Applied to the Study of Health
Person (P), environment (E), situation (S) models
Logic models
Health communication models
Plotting and mapping health conditions

11. Health Literacy
“The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions”
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000)

12. Wellness Perspective A holistic approach to health.
Health is multidimensional:
Physical
Intellectual
Emotional
Social
Environmental
Spiritual

13. Physical Wellness Nutrition Physical Activity Proper eating habits
Follow dietary guidelines
Physical Activity
Numerous health benefits through PA
PA guidelines:

14. Benefits of Physical Activity
Lowers risk for
heart disease,
stroke,
type 2 diabetes,
high blood pressure,
metabolic syndrome, and
colon and breast cancer
Promotes weight loss
Improves cardiovascular and muscular fitness
Helps prevent falls
Improves cognitive function
Improves sleep

15. Physical Activity Benefits Your Health

16. Intellectual Wellness
Learning throughout the lifespan.
Our minds need frequent stimulation.
Use leisure as opportunities for learning.

17. Emotional Wellness
Nearly one third of Americans face a mental or emotional challenge each month.
Emotionally well people have the skills to deal with these challenges.
Stress management
Coping skills
Research supports the connection between emotional health and overall health.

18. Social Wellness
A person’s ability to interact and participate in a variety of environments including
communication skills,
meeting new people, building relationships,
showing respect for self and others, and
developing a network of family and friends.
Social interaction is an important part of a well-rounded, healthy life.

19. Environmental Wellness
The influence of the environment on our health has become more evident.
“Green” initiatives.
How can communities leverage environmental influences to support health?

20. R & R Model: Examines the Relationship Between People, Resources, and the Environment

21. Spiritual Wellness Different for every person
Involves values, ideals, belief systems, and our purpose in life
It is better to ponder the meaning of life for ourselves and to be tolerant of the beliefs of others than to close our minds and become intolerant.
It is better to live each day in a way that is consistent with our values and beliefs than to do otherwise and feel untrue to ourselves.
(National Wellness Institute, 2011)

22. Quality of Life (QoL)
The degree of well-being felt by an individual or group of people.
Generally, consists of two components:
Physical: health, diet, safety, and so on
Psychological: stress, worry, pleasure, both positive and negative emotional states
QoL is determined by individual perspective.

23. Factors Influencing QoL
Cost of living
Culture and leisure
Economy
Environment
Freedom
Health
Infrastructure
Safety and risk
Climate

24. Playgrounds in Residential Areas Can Improve QoL

25. Healthy Communities
A movement to improve health at the local, community level.
Focused on overall quality of life.
A healthy community is one in which people come together to make their community better for themselves, their family, their friends, their neighbors, and others.

26. We Need You
To explore, contribute, and provide parks, recreation, and leisure services around the world
To be motivated to pursue a common vision: a healthy, sustainable, accessible, and livable community
To improve health, wellness, and quality of life!