A Systematic Review of Health-Promotion Programs in NCAA Division III Institutions

Health-promotion in the workplace has existed for numerous years. However, the availability of health-promotion programs offered in institutions of higher education has seemed to lag behind other industries such as business. The purpose of this survey research project was to identify specific components of health-promotion programs within NCAA Division III institutions of higher education including (a) percentage of institutions with a health-promotion program and (b) the specific components of existing health-promotion programs. This study also identified specific barriers which have prevented NCAA Division III institutions from adopting a health-promotion program. The researcher-developed survey, Health-Promotion Program Survey, was used to obtain data for this study. This study was sent out electronically to 423 human resource officers working for NCAA Division III institutions using SurveyMonkey[R]. The data were analyzed using frequencies and "t" Tests. A brief summary of the findings indicates that most (89, 77.4%) NCAA Division III institutions of higher education had a health-promotion program currently in place at the time of the study. However, most (53, 60.2%) of the health-promotion programs had been implemented for fewer than six years. A significantly higher percentage of programs were found in institutions in the Northeast region when compared to the overall mean and a significantly lower percentage of institutions with a health-promotion program currently implemented was found in the Southwest. No significant differences were noted between colleges and universities or between public and private institutions of higher education. Barriers preventing the implementation of health-promotion programs in NCAA Division III institutions included lack of financial resources, lack of administrative support, and lack of employee involvement in the program. Most institutions did not include health-promotion in their mission statement or strategic planning and most did not feel their health-promotion program was comprehensive. The results obtained in this study proved valuable information for human resource officers, benefits managers, as well as individuals teaching and working in health related fields in institutions of higher education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]