Wellness Research

* indicates published research article; for more current chart, see Myers, J. E. & Sweeney, T. J. (2005). Counseling for Wellness: Theory, Research, and Practice. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

 

Author

Title/Citation

Variables & Sample

Method

Instruments

Findings

 

 

Catharina Chang

 

1998*

The role of distinctiveness in acculturation, ethnic identity, and wellness in Korean-American adolescents and young adults

Differentiation

Inclusion

Acculturation

Assimilation

Identity

Wellness

Demographics

 

208 participants aged 11-25

Correlations
MANOVA
regression analysis

WEL;

WEL (Korean)

Need for assimilation predicted degree of inclusion; need for differentiation did not. Need for differentiation had a significant negative relationship with wellness; Acculturation (acc) had a significant positive relationship with wellness; birthplace, age of immigration, length of stay in the U.S., & state of residence significantly related to acc., ethnic identity, and wellness.

 

Kathleen Connolly

 

2000*

The relationship among wellness, mattering, and job satisfaction

Holistic wellness

Mattering

Job satisfaction

 

82 people from different work settings in Midwest and Southeast US

Pearson product correlation analyses; multiple regression analyses

WEL/5F-Wel

General Mattering Scale

Job Descriptive Index (revised)

Wellness and mattering predicted job satisfaction; relations between job satisfaction and gender found

 

Suzanne Degges-White

 

2003

The Relationships among Transitions, Chronological Age, Subjective Age, Wellness, and Life Satisfaction in Women at Midlife.

Transitions experienced & expected;

timelines Chronological age

Subjective age Overall wellness Life satisfaction

 

224 midlife women aged 35 to 65

MANOVA, Pearson Product Moment Correlations, ANOVAs, Multiple regression analysis

5F-WEL

significant relationship between subjective age and wellness; wellness and household income accounted for a significant amount of variance in life satisfaction.

 

Suzanne Degges-White, Jane Myers, et al.

 

2003

 

Examining counseling needs of headache patients: An exploratory study of wellness and perceived stress.

wellness, perceived stress mattering

 

60 adults seeking migraine help in medical clinic

correlations, t-tests 5F-Wel
General Mattering Scale
Perceiived Stress Scale
lower wellness and higher perceived stress in headache patients than norm group of adults  

Brian Dew

 

2000*

 

 

The relationship among internalized homophobia, self-disclosure, self-disclosure to parents, and wellness in adult gay males

Internalized homophobia

Self-disclosure

Self-disclosure to parents

Wellness

 

217 volunteers from gay social and professional organizations, and university organizations

ANOVA
t-tests

Nungesser Homosexual Attitudes Inventory

General Disclosiveness Scale

WEL

No relation between parental disclosure and wellness; Self-disclosure and homophobia related to wellness; Differences among ages and ethnicities

 

Carol Dice

 

2002

The relationship among coping resources, wellness, and attachment to companion animals in older persons

Coping resources

Wellness

Attachment to companion animal

 

327 persons 65 years of age and older and not residing in long-term care institutions

MANOVA

correlations

Coping Resources Inventory

WEL

Pet Ownership Information Forms

 

Social, emotional, and total coping resources were higher among current and former pet owners with high levels of attachment than for pet owners with medium and low attachment levels; Significant positive relation between wellness and coping resources for both groups of pet owners.

 

Andrea Dixon Rayle

 

2002*

The relationship among ethnic identity, acculturation, mattering, and wellness in minority and non-minority adolescents

Ethnic identity

Acculturation

Mattering

Wellness

 

176 minority and 286 non-minority adolescents

SEM

Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure;

Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale;

General Mattering Scale;

Mattering to Others Questionnaire;

5F-WEL (teenage)

Mattering and acculturation explain adolescent variance; Ethnic identity explains minority variance; No differences between minority and non-minority

 

Michael Garrett

 

1996*

Cultural values and wellness of Native American high school students (wellness, acculturation)

Cultural value orientation

Acculturation

Wellness

 

Native American and non-Native American; grades 9-12

MANOVAs

Value Schedule;

Native American Acculturation Scale;

WEL

Differences between NAs and non-NAs on acculturation; Differences among acculturation levels on wellness; No overall differences between NA and non-NA students on wellness

 

Paul Granello

 

1995*

Wellness as a function of perceived social support network and ability to empathize (holistic health)

Perceived social support

Ability to empathize

Wellness

 

100 undergraduate students; 18-47

Linear regression; Correlation

WEL;

Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire;

LaMonica Empathy Profile

No predictive relationship between empathy or social support in relation to wellness

 

Holly Hartwig

 

2003

The relationship among individual factors of wellness, family environment, and delinquency among adolescent females

Family environment

Wellness

Delinquency

 

248 undergraduate

women, 18- 19

t-tests, ANOVA, MANOVA

Moos Family Environment Scale

5F-WEL

Mak Delinquency Scale

No significant differences between delinquent and non-delinquent females in wellness and family environment.

 

John Hattie, Jane Myers, & Tom Sweeney

(in press study)

Development of the Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle

Wellness

 

5,380 adults across the lifespan

item analysis factor analysis SEM
correlations MANOVA

Five iterations of WEL Development of Five Factor Wel (5F-Wel) as outcome of seven studies over 10 year period  

David Hermon

 

1995*

Adherence to a wellness model and perceptions of psychological well-being

Wellness

Perceived psychological well-being

 

155 undergraduates (aged 18-51)

Multivariate regression analysis, univariate analysis

WEL

Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness

Ability to self-regulate, identify with work, and friendships contribute most to psychological well-being; Significant relationship between wellness and psychological well-being

 

Gerald Hutchinson

 

1996

The relationship of wellness factors to work performance and job satisfaction among managers

Wellness

Work performance

Job satisfaction

 

161 American managers

Multiple regression

WEL

Physical Self-Description Questionnaire;

Job Satisfaction Blank;

Work Performance Scale

Holistic wellness better predicts work performance and job satisfaction better than physical fitness, which currently defines organizational wellness programs

 

Linda Makinson

 

2001

The relationship of moral identity, social interest, gender, and wellness among adolescents

Moral identity

Social Interest

Gender

Wellness

 

187 Adolescents in grades 9-12; central NC youth organizations

Correlation; Analysis of structural equation

Tennessee Self-Concept Scale;

Social Interest Assessment Scale (school);

5F-WEL (teenage)

Social interest, but not wellness, explained variance in wellness; No gender differences

 

Natasha Mitchell

 

2001

The relationship among acculturation, wellness, and academic self-concept in Caribbean American adolescents

Academic self-concept

Acculturation

Wellness

 

201 English-speaking Caribbean American adolescents; New York City & Greensboro, NC; public, private, parochial schools

Multiple regression analyses; Pearson Product Moment Correlations

Vancouver Index of Acculturation

5F-WEL (teenage)

Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (child)

Positive relation between wellness and academic self-concept and acculturation; Acculturation and wellness account for variance in self-concept

 

Keith Mobley

 

In progress*

The Relationship among age, gender role conflict, and wellness in two cohorts of male counselors

Age

Gender role conflict

Wellness

 

287 male professional counselors

Correlation, ANOVA, regression analyses

5F-WEL

in progress

 

Jane Myers & Ashleah Bechtel

2003

Wellness of first year cadets at West Point Military Academy

Age, Gender
Ethnicity
Perceived Stress
Mattering, Wellness
Pre-Post 9-11

179 first year cadets at West Point

Correlation
MANOVA
t-tests

5F-Wel
General Mattering Scale
Perceived Stress Scale

Significant positive correlations between 17 wellness scales and mattering; negative correlations between perceived stress and some wellness scales; some within group differences based on gender and age  

Jane Myers,
Ric Luecht & Tom Sweeney

2003

Reexamining the factor structure of wellness

wellness, age
Gender, Ethnicity

3,993 adults across the lifespan

SEM
MANOVA
Correlations
5F-Wel; development of 4F-Wel Identification of new factor structure with four factors: General Wellness (GW), Physical, Cognitive, Spiritual; GW factor allows measurement of wellness with 30-35 item scale  

Jane Myers, Jayamala Madathil, & Lynne Tingle

2003

Marital satisfaction and wellness in couples in India in arranged marriages and couples in the U.S. in marriages of choice

marital status, marital satisfaction, wellness

 

45 couples in India in arranged marriages

descriptives, t-tests WEL Differences on 9 scales, some large and medium effects, between sample and WEL norm group; Indian participants scored higher on nutrition, spirituality, & cultural identity  

Jane Myers & Keith Mobley

 

2003*

Wellness of Counseling Students: Practicing what we preach

Wellness variables

 

263 graduate students in counseling; entry-level and doctoral

t-tests, MANOVA, three-way ANOVA

5F-WEL

Doctoral  students report greater wellness; non-caucasian students report greater cultural identity

 

Jane Myers & Moshe Tatar

 

2003

Wellness of middle school students in Israel and the United States: Impact of culture on wellness

Wellness
age
gender
country of origin

240 Israeli middle school students

Factor analysis MANOVA correlations
t-tests
Hebrew Translation of 5F-Wel-T Differences in wellness based on gender, age, country of origin identified  

Anne Powers & Jane Myers

 

In press*

Wellness, Perceived Stress, Mattering and Marital Satisfaction Among Medical Residents and their Spouses: Implications for Education and Counseling

Wellness

Perceived stress

Mattering, Marital satisfaction

Medical training

 

42 couples living in medical marriages

t-tests

WEL

Perceived Stress Scale

General Mattering Scale

Resident spouses score higher than norm on: wellness, mattering, marital satisfaction.  Lower on: work satisfaction, realistic beliefs.  No significant differences between medical and non-medical spouses.

 

Matthew Shurts

 

in progress

Relationship efficacy, marital messages received, marital attitudes, and wellness

Relationship efficacy, marital messages received, marital attitudes, and wellness

umarried college students

 

 

5F-Wel

relationship efficacy scales

   

Matthew Shurts & Jane Myers

 

2002*

Liking, Loving, and Wellness

Wellness

Liking

Love

 

242 undergraduate students, mid-size and small colleges in Midwest and Southeast

MANOVAs

Rubin Liking Scale

Love Attitudes Scale

5F-WEL

Significant differences found for gender, age, and ethnicity

 

Stacey Sinclair

 

2001*

Objectification experiences, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance, objectified body consciousness, and wellness in heterosexual Caucasian college women

Objectified body consciousness

Objectification experiences

Sociocultural attitudes toward appearance

Wellness

 

195 female undergraduate students

Multiple regression analyses; Pearson Product Moment correlation

Objectification Experiences Questionnaire;

Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire;

Objectified Body Consciousness Scale

5F-Wel

Experience and attitudes account for variance in body consciousness; Positive relations between experience, attitudes, and body consciousness; negative relationship between wellness and body shame but not appearance control beliefs

 

Shawn Spurgeon

 

2002

The relationship among ethnic identity, self-esteem, and wellness in African American Males

Ethnic identity

Self-esteem

Wellness

 

245 African American male college students, aged 19-46, juniors and seniors

Regression analyses, correlations, MANOVAs

5F-WEL

Racial identity and self-esteem did not predict wellness

 

Fran Steigerwald

 

2000

The relationship of family-of-origin structure and family conflict resolution tactics to holistic wellness in college-age offspring

Wellness

Conflict resolution tactics

Family of origin structure

 

219 subjects, aged 18-25, Midwestern college

ANOVA, Multiple regression

WEL

Conflict Tactics Scale

Family-of-origin structure was not significantly related to the offspring's holistic wellness

 

Holly Tangiosi

in progress

The effectiveness of individual counseling on the wellness of police officers. age, gender, ethnicity, performance evaluation, self efficacy, stage of change, individual counseling, and wellness  

5F-Wel

 

   

Thomas Vecchione

 

1999

An examination of the relationship between career development and holistic wellness among college students

Holistic wellness

Career development

 

160 (109 female, 51 male) randomly chosen undergraduates at a mid western university

Multiple regression

WEL

Career Development Inventory

 

No relation between career knowledge and wellness; Significant negative relationship between career development attitude and wellness

 

 

 

Citations

 

  1. Chang, C. Y., & Myers, J. E. (2003). Cultural adaptation of the Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle (WEL): An assessment challenge. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 35, 239-250.
  2. Connolly, K. M., & Myers, J. E. (in press). Wellness and mattering: The role of holistic factors in job satisfaction. Submitted to Journal of Employment Counseling.
  3. Dew, B. J., Myers, J. E., & Wightman, L. F. Wellness in adult gay males: Examining the impact of internalized homophobia, self-disclosure, and self-disclosure to parents. Manuscript submitted for review.
  4. Garrett, M. T. (1999). Soaring on the wings of the eagle: Wellness of Native American high school students. Professional School Counseling, 3(1): 57-64.
  5. Granello, P. F. (1996). Wellness as a function of perceived social support network and ability to empathize. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 57(2-B): 0985.
  6. Hermon, D. A., & Hazler, R. J. (1999). Adherence to a wellness model and perceptions of psychological well-being. Journal of Counseling and Development, 77(3): 339-343.
  7. Myers, J. E., & Bechtel, A. (in press). Stress, wellness, and mattering among cadets at West Point: Factors affecting a fit and healthy force. Military Medicine.
  8. Myers, J. E., & Mobley, K. A. Foundations of wellness promotion for undergraduate students: Lesson from between and within groups comparisons. Manuscript submitted for review.
  9. Myers, J. E., Mobley, K., & Booth, C. S. (2003). Wellness of counseling students: Practicing what we preach. Counselor Education & Supervision, 42, 264-274.
  10. Powers, A., Myers, J.E., Tingle, L., & Powers, J. (in press). Wellness, perceived stress, mattering, and marital satisfaction among first year medial residents and their spouses: Implications for education and counseling. The Family Journal.
  11. Rayle, A.D., & Myers, J.E. Wellness in adolescence: The roles of ethnic identity, acculturation, and mattering. Manuscript submitted for review.
  12. Shurts, M., & Myers, J.E. The relationships among liking, love, and wellness: Implications for college student romances. Manuscript submitted for review.
  13. Sinclair, S. L., & Myers, J. E. Weighty issues: Objectified body consciousness and wellness in heterosexual Caucasian women. Manuscript submitted for review.

 


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