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Wellness and Health Promotion Concentration

  • Credits:
    18

Concentration Description

A concentration in Wellness and Health Promotion will provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to change elements of lifestyle for themselves and others, to enable them to take greater control in the prevention, management, and even reversal of chronic disease, and to focus on increasing protective factors to promote health and wellness. This will address the role of stress and how to mitigate the negative effects of chronic stress; the role of physical activity and exercise in physical and mental health; and how elements of lifestyle, such as nutrition, play such an important role in gaining control of our health. This concentration will prepare students to assess needs and consider how to bring wellness to many individuals, groups, and organizations, including the workplace.

The concentration is accepted in any Cambridge College bachelor’s degree, as open electives.

Curriculum

Nutrition and Health Promotion
PHW 303

In this course students will gain a foundation in the basics of nutrition and how the body utilizes nutrients that contribute to health. Students will examine theories and current research on elements of nutrition and their relationship to chronic disease. They will also have the opportunity to assess the nutritional value of foods and examine strategies for modifying nutritional intake in the context of life cycle, culture and environment.
 

The Science of Exercise
SCI 311 • 3 credit(s)

This course provides an historical perspective on physical activity and fitness, and how changes in lifestyle, technology and other factors that have contributed to a more sedentary lifestyle and related health concerns. Students will examine various forms of physical activity and will be introduced to exercise physiology, the ways in which physical activity impacts biology, including physical health, mental health and the brain. The literature on various forms of exercise and the impact on health will be examined including but not limited to endurance, flexibility, strength, stamina, cognition, memory. We will investigate current trends in exercise, by factors such as age, culture and gender, and whether these factors are considered in our efforts to influence rates of physical activity.

Lifestyle Change to Promote Health
PHW 402 • 3 credit(s)

This course explores why changing lifestyle is critical for increased health and wellbeing and how to assist in the process of bringing about needed change. Students will look comprehensively at the role of lifestyle change in promoting health and will critically examine the related evidence. They will examine theories aimed at explaining and predicting health behaviors and identify factors that influence decision-making. Students will apply their knowledge in designing interventions and policies that promote health.

Self-Care for Helping Professionals
PSY 426 • 3 credit(s)
Students learn about the impact of stress on physical and mental health, job functioning and learning, family and other relationships. Students learn ways to deal with the stress that is often inherent in the helping professions. Concrete skills help them take better care of themselves and pass these skills on to others. Topics addressed include stress management and relaxation techniques, physical activity, nutrition, time, cognitive restructuring, and attitude. Whether you work in human services, health care, schools, or corporate America, this course gives an understanding of stress and stress management and practical applications for you and your clients.
Program Planning and Evaluation
BHS 378 • 3 credit(s)
Successful programs address client needs and deliver services utilizing an effective systems approach. Students discuss the issues programs face in establishing guidelines for short-term and long-term planning, recruiting and training staff, and in conducting ongoing evaluation of services. Students participate in a client/provider interview and create a program design. The course addresses systems theory, family relationships, governmental agencies and their relationship to community services, program planning, setting goals and objectives, conducting interviews and evaluations, applied critical thinking, assessment, professional writing, and grant writing. (formerly MAN424)
Introduction to Wellness in the Workplace
BSM 201 • 3 credit(s)
With the cost of health care continually rising, there is increasing interest among employers to find effective ways to improve health while lowering costs. This course will provide students with an overview of the impact of bringing wellness initiatives into the workplace. In this introduction to workplace wellness, students will identify the elements of wellness, characteristics of wellness programs and the return on the investment for companies who have invested in wellness within their organizations, such as reduction of health care costs, reduced rates of absenteeism, increased productivity, improved morale and retention. They will identify how various elements of wellness can be introduced in the workplace and how organizations can sustain a culture of wellness.