Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Positive Health Scale

Validity and reliability study of the Turkish version of the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale (SHIS) among a sample of Turkish university students.

METHODS

This study was conducted with 291 university students. The SHIS was evaluated in terms of language equivalence, validity and the reliability. Content validity was assessed with the content validity index (CVI). Construct validity was determined by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was used for the analysis of internal consistency, a Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for parallel form reliability, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for the test-retest technique.

RESULTS

The CVI of the SHIS was between 0.80 and 1.00. When the results of the CFA were examined, the factor loadings of all items were above 0.50. A statistically significant moderate positive correlation was found between the SHIS and the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scores for parallel form reliability (r = 0.489). Within the scope of the test-retest analysis, an ICC = 0.762 was determined (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The findings obtained from this validity and reliability study carried out on a sample of Turkish university students showed that the SHIS was both valid and reliable.

Definitions of positive health: a systematic scoping review

An agreed definition, model, and indicators of positive health would contribute to a better understanding and wider use of the term, thus favoring the development of the positive health approach in public health. However, there is no consensus even on the definition of positive health. In this study, we systematically reviewed its definitions. We conducted a scoping review as per PRISMA guidelines. We queried the MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, and Web of Science databases. The PubMed search equation was: 'positive health' [Title/Abstract] AND ('health' [MeSH] OR 'health status' [MeSH] OR 'health status indicators' [MeSH]). Definitions of positive health referring to a 'one-dimensional' conceptualization of health are: (i) positive health as a state 'far beyond a mere absence of disease'; (ii) positive health as wellbeing; and those referring to a 'two-dimensional' conceptualization are (iii) positive health as resilience and (iv) positive health as (a reserve in) capacities. This work contributes to the refining of the salutogenic vocabulary. At this stage of the ongoing discussion on health promotion vocabulary, we propose the 'reserve in capacities' as the candidate for the definition of positive health.

Development and field test of the Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale - short form (SWPS-SF) in U.S. college students

Survey research is important for understanding health and improving practice among health professions. However, survey research can have drawbacks, such as overuse and excessively lengthy questionnaires that burden respondents. These issues lead to poor response rates and incomplete questionnaires. Low and incomplete response rates result in missing data and reduced sample size, damaging the value, usability and generalizability of the information collected. To address issues related to response rates and improve health research, shorter surveys are recommended because they impose less of a burden on respondents and are useful with larger populations. Health-related surveys also often focus on the factors leading to ill health without dedicating equal attention to factors supporting positive health. This study developed and tested a short form (SF) of the validated Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale (SWPS), which measures causes of health (rather than causes of disease), using responses from 2052 college students. The participants answered questions about their demographics and completed the SWPS and a perceived health assessment. Statistical tests demonstrated the SWPS-SF had significant relationships with the full SWPS, health status, and Grade Point Average (GPA). Statistical tests were also used to establish cutoff scores that had a high true positive and low false negative rate. These cutoff scores demonstrated a relationship of higher performance and better health. These promising results suggest this short test can provide valid information without burdening the respondents. Authors recommend additional tests be completed to validate the SWPS-SF.

Older women and wellbeing through the pandemic: Examining the effect of daily online yoga lessons

The researcher reports the impact of online yoga lessons on a cohort of community-dwelling older adult women in mitigating fears, anxieties and promoting resilience, wellbeing and salutogenic wellness during the pandemic as compared to a control group. Online yoga lessons were effective and economic class, education, religion, marital status, and living arrangements were significant moderators. Intervention adherence had the strongest predictor effects. The combined effects of significant predictors were robust and latent class analyses indicated middle class, above threshold (>50%) lessons attendees and self-practice doers, single, living in nonstandard families, college educated, and Hindus, were likely to gain most.

GROW: Green Organic Vegetable Gardens to Promote Older Adult Wellness: a Feasibility Study

Protecting older adult's cognitive health is a public health priority. Wellness behaviors within 6 domains have demonstrated effectiveness in protecting older adult's cognitive abilities. Interventions targeted to low-income older adults are needed because these populations experience greater social and physical health disparities compared to adults in higher socioeconomic statuses. This study examined the feasibility of engaging independent, community-dwelling older adults living in low-income senior housing in cultivating raised-bed gardens and reviewed the improvements in cognition and nutrition. Ten participants received ergonomic garden tools, seeds, waist-height garden beds, and weekly garden education. Participants planted vegetables of their choosing and tended to their garden beds for 17 weeks. Cognition and nutrition outcomes were measured before and after the intervention. Adults successfully engaged in the intervention throughout the duration and experienced improvement in cognitive and nutrition outcomes.

Application of the Rasch model to measure five dimensions of wellness in community-dwelling older adults

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Nurse researchers and practicing nurses need reliable and valid instruments to measure key clinical concepts. The purpose of this research was to develop an innovative method to measure dimensions of wellness among older adults.

METHOD

A sample of 5,604 community-dwelling older adults was drawn from members of the COLLAGE consortium. The Wellness Assessment Tool (WEL) of the COLLAGE assessment system provided the data used to create the scores. Application of the Rasch analysis and Masters' partial credit method resulted in logit values for each item within the five dimensions of wellness as well as logit values for each person in the sample.

RESULTS

The items fit the Rasch model, and the composite scores for each dimension demonstrated high reliability (1.00). The person reliability was low: social (.19), intellectual (.33), physical (.29), emotional (.20), and spiritual (.29). The small number of items within each dimension and the homogenous sample appear to have contributed to this low reliability.

CONCLUSION

Ongoing research using multidimensional tools to measure dimensions of wellness among older adults is needed to advance wellness science and wellness promotion in nursing practice.