330150
Effectiveness of a Student-Led Wellness Program for Individuals with Disabilities
Hui-Ju Young, PhD,
School of Health Professions, UAB/Lakeshore Research Collaborative, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Andres Giraldo,
Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Individuals with disabilities are at higher risk of secondary health conditions; thus, there is a need to deliver effective wellness services to this population as well as provide hands-on opportunities for pre-healthcare professionals to interact with individual with disabilities. PURPOSE: To examine the effectiveness of a wellness program for people with disabilities that utilized college students as wellness coaches to deliver individualized wellness plans. METHODS: Thirty-two undergraduate student wellness coaches between the ages of 19 to 23 years, and fifteen participants with disabilities between the ages of 28 to 74 years were included in this study. Each participant was assigned to at least one student wellness coach to work together for the duration of an academic semester (3 months). RESULTS: After 3 months, the participants had an average weight loss of 2.0 ± 2.9 kg, ranging from 0.0 to 9.0 kg. A reduction in heart rate recovery after 3-months of program participation was also observed (pre = 30.6 ± 13.4 sec; post = 24.9 ± 13.4 sec; D = 3.4 ± 5.7sec). All participants had improved functionality and fitness and reported high satisfaction towards the program. All wellness coaches demonstrated improved clinical interaction and confidence toward working with the participants. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the impact of a unique program on the overall wellness of participants with disabilities and the education of pre-healthcare professionals. The program model has the potential to provide clinical health education among pre-healthcare professionals through interacting with individuals with disabilities.
Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Learning Objectives:
Design an unique wellness program for people with disabilities that utilizes college students as wellness coaches to make individualized approaches
Keyword(s): Disabilities, Physical Activity
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was the one who established the wellness program and developed plans to examine the effectiveness of the wellness program. I have been conducting studies in looking at the health and wellness in individuals with disabilities or chronic disease.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
