| dc.description.abstract | THE INTERACTION OF SOME PHYSICAL, HEAL TH-, AND EMOTIONAL
WELLNESS CONSTRUCTS OF MINISTERS OF RELIGION.
Research amongst ministers showed that they are experiencing high levels of stress
due to career demands and having to cope with problems on their own. (Hatcher &
Underwood, 1990: 187; Virginia, 1998:50). This has a detrimental effect on their health
(Sanford, 1982:2; Andrew, 1997: 15).
Physical activity and maintaining a good level of physical fitness have positive effects on
the blood lipid concentrations, glucose tolerance, blood pressure, immune system and
psychological well being (Sandvik et al., 1993:533; Eichner et al., 1994:379).
Longitudinal studies indicated that even by maintaining a moderate level of
cardiovascular fitness, coronary heart disease and other illness that result in mortality
can be decreased (Blair et al., 1989:2396; Blair et al., 1995:280; Blair et al., 1996:207).
The objective of this study was firstly to determine the profiles of leisure-time physical
activity, lifestyle, health status, coronary risk index, burnout and happiness of ministers
of die Dutch reformed church in South Africa. Secondly to determine the effect of
physical activity on the above mentioned parameters and thirdly to study the interaction
of physical activity on the relationship between the above mentioned parameters.
The subjects were 340 male ministers of the Dutch reformed church, who volunteered
to participate in the study. The quality of participation in physical activity was
determined with Sharkey's (1997:432) physical activity index. The lifestyle habits and
health status were determined by using the Belloc and Breslow (1972:46) index and the
illness rating scale of Wyler et al. (1968:363) respectively. The risk of developing
coronary heart disease was determined by Bjornstrom and Alexiou's (1978:524-525)
coronary risk index assessment. The status of burnout was determined by using the
Pines Burnout inventory (1981) while happiness or quality of life was measured by using
the Affectometer 2 of Kammann and Flett (1983).
The mean index of physical activity participation was 35.76_±32.98 which could be
classified as fair although 42.6% of the subjects fell in the low activity group. The
coronary risk index showed that 46% of the population indicated a high risk of
developing coronary artery disease, while 14.63% indicated a high level of burnout and
43.81 % a low level of happiness or quality of life. Despite this bleak view, the
participants had a mean health status index of 216.65_±243.04 that can be classified as
good, while 22.85% of the subjects can be classified as having a bad health status and
70.95% maintained a healthy lifestyle.
Significant diffirences (p≤0.05) were found among the high activity and low activity
group regarding lifestyle, health status, coronary risk index, burnout and happiness or
quality of life. Physical activity also showed a positive interaction on the relationship of
lifestyle and health status, coronary risk index and burnout as well as on the relationship
of burnout on coronary risk index.
This study indicated that the ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church who participated
in this study operated in a danger zone regarding their physical activity and coronary
risk index. However, they indicated a healthy lifestyle and good health index, thus
suggesting that another factor like religion could play a role. The results warranted the
recommendations that physical interventions are made to address the problem of a high
coronary risk index, burnout and low level of happiness and quality of life. | en_US |
