MEAN MG AND IF TNESS: KEY COMPONENTS OF WELLNESS

WALT SCHAFER

A whole-person framework becomes increasingly relevant as leaders of American colleges and universities heighten their efforts to integrate curricular and extra-curricular as- pects of college life. The concept of wellness is useful in sharpening our thinking about whole-person development and programming. The term, in this context, refers to the process of living at one's highest possible level as a whole person and promoting the same in others (Schafer, 1996). Note that this is a whole-person notion, it is a dynamic process, it emphasizes maximizing one's potentials and it includes promoting the well-being of others, as well as self.

The opposite of wellness is worseness (Ardell, 1989). Thus, it is useful to conceive of a wellness- worseness continuum, as shown in Figure 1 (Schafer, 1996). A wellness lifestyle refers to mutually reinforcing positive habits in the following areas: environmental, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, physical, social and time.

Wellness usually refers only to individuals. But wellness can also be used to characterize social envi- ronments. Social units-whether they be the total society, the community, the worksite, the campus, the frater- nity or sorority, the elementary school, the peer group, or the family-also range along a continuum of worse- ness to wellness, depending upon the degree to which they support wellness or worseness among members who live, work, or study

a- - there. What is needed are cultures of wellness-environments that encourage, reward and support wellness choices. Whatever the Walt Schafer, Ph.D., is a professor of soci- ology and faculty associate of the Pacific Wellness Institute at California State University, Chico in Chico, California.

specific setting, according to Schafer (1996) a culture of wellness includes several elements outlined below:

People who model wellness lifestyles; Shared values and social norms that encourage, reward and support wellness choices; Information, resources and in- centives in support of wellness choices; and Maximum and equal access to such information, resources and incentives.

Focus of the Study Within a wellness framework,

this article reports results of a study on the association of three individual-level, wellness-related independent variables (sense of meaning and direction, frequency of exercise, duration of exercise) with three wellness-related dependent variables (self-reported distress, health and happiness) among a sample of university students. The association between the two inde- pendent variables is also described.

The first independent variable, meaning and direction, falls within the spiritual domain of wellness-the domain including concern with issues of meaning, value and purpose (Schafer, 1996). In Existential Psychotherapy, Yalom (1 980)

states, "The human being seems to require meaning. To live without meaning, goals, values, or ideals seems to provoke . . . considerable distress" (p. 422). Larry Dossey (1 991) notes in Meaning and Medicine that "Meaning makes the problems of life bearable, and without it we cannot process or integrate them" (p. 11). Similarly, Tubesing (1 994) points out that,

. . .we cannot be truly healthy, well beings without a clear sense of purpose and direc- tion. We need answers to the questions 'Who am I?' 'Where am I going?' 'What is my purpose?' 'Why am I here?' 'What am I to do with my life?' We need answers to these spiritual questions. Life with- out attention to this spiritual depth soon becomes shallow and self-centered (p. 8).

It is reasonable to expect, then, that the greater the sense of meaning and direction among college students, the less their distress, the better their self-reported health and the greater their happiness.

The second and third independent variables are frequency and duration of physical exercise. An abundance of literature (too much to fully review here) has accumulated during recent

continued

Figure 1 A Wellness-Worseness Continuum

LOW-LEVEL HIGH-LEVEL WORSENESS EL-kNESS

Major Illness Feeling Feeling Feeling High Energy Signs and/or Symptoms Just OK Fairly Well and Very Unhappy Very Happy

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Schafer years on the positive benefits of exercise, especially of the aerobic type, for stress control, emotional well-being, life satisfaction and personal health (Johnsgard, 1989; Morgan & Goldston, 1987; Schafer, 1996). Given this literature, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the more often students exercise per week and the longer each exercise session, the less the distress, the better their self-reported health and the greater their happiness.

. . . the greater the sense of meaning and direction among college students, the less their distress . . . A fascinating question is the

potential association of meaning and direction, on one hand, and frequency and duration of exercise, on the other. Perhaps those students who report more meaning and direction are more likely to harness their energies toward more frequent and consistent habits of exercise. On the other hand, it could be that exercise promotes clearer meaning and purpose throughout the individual's lifespace more broadly. Thus, the association of meaning and direction with exercise frequency and duration will be examined.

Measures Independent Variables. Meaning

and direction was measured by student responses (Agree, Uncertain, Disagree) to the following question- naire item: "I have a pretty clear sense of meaning and direction in my life." Frequency of exercise was measured with the question, "Dur- ing last semester, how many days per week did you exercise for at least 20 minutes?" Exercise duration was measured by asking, "About how long did each exercise session last, on the average?"

Dependent Variables.Distress was measured by a 50-item check- list of emotional, cognitive, behavioral and physical distress symptoms experienced during the past two

Table 1

Distress, Self-Reported Health and Happiness By Sense of Meaning and Direction

Have Sense of Mean Distress Percent Percent Meaning and Symptom Very Good or Very Direction Score Good Health Happy

68% Yes 57 86% 54% 25% Uncertain 8 1 67% 61 %

7% No 94 61 % 6% 100% s<.001 s<.001 s<.o01

Average Days Exercised Per Week Last Semester

34% 0-2 Days 8 1 71 % 36% 38% 3-4 Days 56 84% 52% 29% 5-7 Days 62 86% 50%

101% ~=.002 ~= .001 ~ = . 0 4 Mean = 3.4 Days

Average Length of Exercise Sessions Last Semester

35% 30 Min. or Less 76 65% 40% 65% >30 minutes 60 87% 49%

100% s=.O1 s<.001 NS Mean = 52 minutes

weeks. This measure, known as the Distress Symptom Scale, has a reported test-retest reliability of .88 (Schafer, 1996; Schafer & McKenna, 1985). Self-reported health was mea- sured by responses to the following question: "How would you rate your present state of health?" (Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good). Happiness was measured by responses to this question: "How happy are you these days, all things considered?" (Very Happy, Somewhat Happy, Not Very Happy).

The difference of means test was used for analysis of statistical sig- nificance when the Distress Symptom Scale was involved. Chi square was employed with other variables.

Sample Population Data reported are drawn from a

broader study of 282 undergraduate upper division students who were enrolled in a general education

sociology class on Human Stress at a comprehensive western state university. Fifty-two percent of the sample were female. The median age was 21.

Results As shown in Table 1, two-thirds

(68%) of the 282 respondents reported having "a pretty clear sense of meaning and direction in my life." One in four was uncertain, and only 7% disagreed with this statement. Those with a clear sense of meaning and direction scored significantly lower in distress symptoms and were sig- nificantly more likely to report very good or good health and to report being very happy. Notably, they were nine times more likely to report being very happy compared with those who reported not having a clear sense of meaning and direction (54% vs. 6%). Obviously, those with a clear sense of

continued

FALL 1996 NlRSA JOURNAL 15

meaning and direction were more likely to report positive wellness out- comes.

Table 1 also indicates that respon- dents averaged 3.4 days of exercise per week. The more frequent the exercise, the lower the distress symptom scores and the higher the proportion reporting of Very Good or Good health. Those who exercised from zero to two days per week were significantly less likely to report being very happy than those who exercised three or more times per week. Table 1 reveals that the greater the length of each exercise session, the lower the distress symptoms and the greater the self-reported health and happiness. (The association of length of exercise and happiness was in the predicted direction but was not statis- tically significant.) As expected, then, the greater the exercise in frequency and duration, the more positive the three wellness outcomes.

Table 2 presents the association among the independent variables: I) sense of meaning and direction; and 2) frequency and duration of exercise. The first part of this table shows exercise frequency and duration by sense of meaning and direction. It clearly shows that the greater the sense of meaning and direction, the greater the frequency and duration of exercise.

Does meaning and direction cause more exercise, or does exercise pro- mote a sense of meaning and direc- tion? From cross-sectional data it is impossible to determine. However, looking at the same data in a reverse fashion may offer more insight: sense of meaning and direction by exercise frequency and duration. As shown in the lower part of Table 2, the data reveal that the more frequent and the longer each exercise session, the higher the proportion of individuals stating they have a clear sense of meaning and direction.

Exercise Frequency and Duration By Sense of Meaning and Direction

Have Sense of Average Days Exercised Per Week

Last Semester Exercise Session

Sense of Meaning and Direction By Exercise Frequency and Duration

Average Days Percentage Yes, Exercised Per Week Have Sense of

Last Semester Meaning and Direction

Average Length of Each Exercise Session

30 Minutes or Less 57% More Than 30 Minutes 75% s<.001

Summary and Discussion The article began by suggesting

that weilness is a useful whole- person concept for understanding the student experience, for studying it and for programming to promote total student well-being. We have seen here that measuring one aspect of the spiritual dimension of wellness, sense of meaning and direction, is significantly associated with three other wellness-related variables: distress symptoms, self-reported health and happiness. Exercise frequency and duration (physical wellness factors) were also assoc- iated with the same three out- comes. Finally, we noted that sense of meaning and direction was significantly associated with frequency and duration of exercise.

These findings provide further support for strengthening both spiritual and physical learning and activity opportunities among college students, since both seem to be vital for positive wellness outcomes. What is needed are continued efforts to build a culture of wellness on every campus and among its component parts, both curricular and extra-curricular. Intramural and recreational sports can play an important part in such efforts.

REFERENCES

Ardell, D. C. (1989). Die healthy: Sixteen steps to a wellness lifestyle. Melbourne: Wellness Australia.

Dossey, L. (1991). Meaning and medicine. New York: Bantam Books.

Johnsgard, K. W. (1989). The exercise pre- scription for depression and anxiety. New York: Plenum Press.

Morgan, W. P., & Goldston. S. E. (Eds.). (1987). Exercise and mental health. Washington, DC: Hemisphere.

Schafer, W. (1996). Stress management for wellness (3rd ed.). Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Schafer, W. E., & McKenna,-J. F. (1985). * Life ~hanges,~*stress, injuries, and illness- among adult runners. stress Medicine, 1, 237-244.

Tubesing. D. A. (1994). The quest for the holy grail: Questions. Wellness management. 10(3), 8-9.

Yalom, 1. E. (1980). Existential psycho- therapy. New York: Basic Books.

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