Naval personnel are consistently taught to always maintain a “readiness posture”, which means to “be fully trained and ready for global deployment in support of the Navy’s mission”. In order to support the Fleet, the primary mission of the Navy Medical Department, Navy healthcare professionals must consistently re-conceptualize and operationalize the term “ready”. The increased need for military support poses an even greater threat to the quality of life (QOL) for Navy personnel and their families, affecting their readiness and performance. Since 9/11/01, with the terrorist attacks on the U.S., supporting those who protect and defend the country must be of the highest priority for the Navy Medical Department. There are approximately 374,000 personnel on active duty (AD) in the United States Navy. The Department of the Navy spends approximately $2.3 billion dollars annually on QOL programs, which include: family housing; bachelor quarters; morale, recreation & welfare; childcare; family service centers and education. QOL programs and research efforts in the Navy have yet to utilize a holistic approach incorporating spirituality and health behavior components. There is a lack of research that investigates the relationship among spirituality, health promoting lifestyle behaviors, and QOL in Navy personnel.
Objective The objectives for the proposed pilot study are to: 1) describe the levels of spirituality, health promoting lifestyle behaviors, socio-demographic variables and QOL for AD Navy personnel; 2) examine the relationships among spirituality, health promoting lifestyle behaviors, socio-demographics variables and QOL. The long-term objectives are to utilize the results of the study to support a dissertation study that will determine which combination of spirituality, health promoting lifestyle behaviors, socio-demographics, and perceptions of environment variables best predicts QOL.
Design A correlational design will be utilized to investigate the relationships among study variables.
Population, Sample, Setting, Year The pilot study will be conducted during a 2 month(JUL/AUG 2002)time period. The data collection site will be aboard selected aircraft carriers and shipboard installations, utilizing an AD Navy sample reflecting the demographic composition of the Navy.
STUDY CONCEPTS The proposed pilot study will explore the following concepts: 1) spirituality a relationship or connectedness with self, others, nature, and the ultimate other; manifested through whatever religious or ritualistic practices that are known to the individual; 2) health promoting lifestyle behaviors “a multidimensional pattern of self initiated actions comprised of set of health promoting lifestyle behaviors that serve to maintain or enhance the level of wellness; health promoting behaviors identified as self-actualization, health responsibility, exercise, nutrition, interpersonal support, stress management. 3) QOL a multi-dimensional concept that is comprised of physical, psychological, social and spiritual domains; reflecting an individual's cognitive appraisal of satisfaction /dissatisfaction with the domains of life that are important to him/her.
METHODS A sample of Navy AD subjects( N=100) will be asked to provide non-identifying socio-demographic information prior to completion of the Quality of Life Index scale (Ferrans & Powers, 1985), Brief Multi-dimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) (Abeles, et. al., 1999), and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II ( Walker, 1995). Recruitment of subjects will be obtained via advertisement through shipboard or aircraft carrier communication channels. A group administration method for data collection will be utilized. A group administration method involves providing service members with a central location to complete the study instruments.
FINDINGS The expected results of the study are positive correlation’s among spirituality, health promoting lifestyle behaviors, and QOL in Navy personnel assigned to shipboard and aircraft carrier installations. Ultimately, the results of the study will also support longitudinal research on predictors of QOL that can be linked to military outcomes in the future, and to develop ecological and holistic models that predicts QOL for Tri-service military environments. Additional findings are related to challenges in data collection aboard Navy ships and aircraft carriers.
IMPLICATIONS The triadic nature of individuals as bio-psycho-spiritual beings propels military healthcare professionals to develop innovative methods to support, and protect the holistic health or wellness of service members. A holistic view requires nurses to focus their research, and interventions on addressing the physical, spiritual, psychological, and sociological needs of the patient and family. The study results will have implications for development of targeted holistic interventions that promote adherence to health promoting lifestyle behaviors, support spiritual practices, and improve the QOL for healthy Navy populations and their families.
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