This study has contributed to the growing literature on wellness and healthy lifestyle behaviour because it provides empirical evidence to support theoretical wellness models. The holistic wellness behaviour assessment provides managers at the two sample universities with an indication of their wellness behaviour levels and the areas that need improvement. This study has shown that the instrument used was valid and reliable for assessing the wellness status of managers. In addition, the instrument has identified nine health risk factors of which six were used to measure the health risk scores of managers.
However, the small sample (28% response rate) is indicative of the ignorance of managers about the importance of wellness and health. There is seemingly poor insight into and understanding of the relationship between wellness and work-life. The poor participation also shows the unwillingness of managers to reveal personal information to enable research to be undertaken that can lead to effective health management interventions. This reluctance to participate necessitates a comprehensive education effort to explain the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. For instance, the relationship between personal health and productivity. To retain competent and able staff, higher education institutions should focus on wellness and health promotion programmes. Because of the ageing tertiary population, people have to work longer, therefore, health becomes a crucial human resource issue in organisations.
The wellness behaviour and health risk model, proposed in this study, may serve as a theoretical framework for future scientific wellness behaviour and health promotion surveys and data analysis to devise tailor made interventions. The model postulates that wellness, as a dependent variable, is determined by eleven independent variables (see figure 7). These eleven independent variables are physical fitness and nutrition, medical self-care, safety, environmental wellness, social awareness, sexuality and emotional awareness, emotional management, intellectual wellness, occupational wellness, spirituality and values and the health risk score. This study has identified the physical fitness and nutrition and medical self-care wellness behaviour levels as weaknesses amongst managers at the two sample universities that necessitate interventions.
Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were made to the top management of the two sample universities. Both universities need to reflect on their current employee assistance and wellness programmes. Health and wellness promotion should be a part of a human resource strategy that aims at reducing the health risks of managers through planned changes in individual risk related behaviours and other organisationally related predisposing conditions. Top management should play a crucial role in creating a healthy organisational climate. The organisational climate can only be changed if the organisational culture is changed. From an organisational behaviour perspective wellness behaviour and health promotion interventions are a pro-active human resource strategy to address signs and symptoms of diseases and prevent disability amongst managers. In addition,
56%
these strategies create an awareness of and education about, leading healthy lifestyles and as a result can reduce the health risks of managers. To educate managers and to create an increasing wellness behaviour awareness amongst managers is no guarantee for their adaptation of a healthy lifestyle. To change their wellness behaviour, interventions should be based on behavioural change models such as the Cognitive Learning Theory and Transtheoretical Model. Top management at the academic university should take cognisance that their managerial workforce is on average older (47.2% in age group 46-55 and 41.7% in age group 56-65) than their counterparts at the technology university. The ageing managerial component at the academic university may increase the health risks of managers in the long term. Thus, to reduce the health risks and to prevent diseases and disability amongst the ageing managerial component, top management at the academic university should make wellness promotion a strategic priority
Figure 7: A Wellness Behaviour and Health Risk Model for Managers at South African Tertiary Institutions
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