Running head: LESSON 2 1

Lesson 2 Self-Assessment: Whole-Health Evaluation

Eliana Falls

Arizona State University

PPE 310: Healthy Learning Communities

Mr. Gabriel Gerbic

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Lesson 2 Self-Assessment: Whole-Health Evaluation

For this weeks assignment, I have created an assessment tool called the Whole-Health

Evaluation tool, which can help individuals evaluate their lifestyle choices, while finding their

strengths and weaknesses in each domain addressed on the test. This evaluation tool measures

five different categories: Physical activity, eating habits, tobacco and substance use, stress

control, and safety habits. Assessments such as this one, are essential to everyday living as they

can help people measure their daily choices, and see where improvements need to be made. By

employing this test as a starting guide, the individual can take the results and consult a medical

professional if any concerns arise. Health experts describe lifestyle as one of the most important

factors affecting our health. In fact, it is estimated that 5 of the 10 leading causes of death could

be reduced through common-sense changes in lifestyle (Bobroff, 2015). It is important to add

that this tool is not a certified medical exam, and only meant to be just as a supporting guide.

This tool is also not applicable to everyone, especially those with chronic diseases or other

existing health issues. Always consult a physician or certified professional when making changes

to diet and choosing an exercise regimen.

Method

I based my questionnaire on two existing tools, the first one is a questionnaire called

Healthstyle: A Self-Test, developed by Linda B. Bobroff at the University of Florida. This

questionnaire was made to help people identify aspects of their lifestyle that need improvement,

so they can be healthier (Bobroff, 2015). The idea is that by making better life choices, we can

reduce the risk of obesity and degenerative diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and

cholesterol (Harvard University, 2017). The second tool that inspired my assessment is the

Healthy Living Questionnaire, created by BC Cancer Agency, a government agency based in

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British Columbia, Canada. One of the main missions of this organization, is to reduce the risk of

cancer, and bring awareness to people by promoting positive lifestyle choices such as: staying

active, eating well, and avoiding UV rays, and avoiding alcohol/tobacco use (BC Cancer

Agency, 2017). I chose these two tools as the inspiration and foundation for my evaluation tool,

because I wanted a comprehensive questionnaire that covered the main lifestyle categories, but

that was easy to follow and not too lengthy. My assessments main goal is to serve as the bridge

to overall wellness (mind and body). I want to help people get a better idea of the areas that they

should work on the most, while engaging with their strongest areas in the process.

Scoring

The scores can be broken down by section and by the overall assessment. Individual

sections: If the individual scores 15 to 20 in a section, this means that the person has a good

overall awareness of that lifestyle area and makes efforts to make good choices. A score between

10-15 shows that the person has a good idea of what healthy choices look like, but they need to

reevaluate some of those choices. If the score is between 0 to 10, the individual may be making

too many high-risk choices in this specific area and they should make some changes as soon as

possible. Scoring the overall assessment: If the individual scores between 90 to 100 for the

entirety of the test, then they exhibit an excellent awareness of healthy habits. A score between

60 and 80, shows that the individual employs good habits but that they need to improve their

choices a little more. A score between 30 and 50, means that the individual may have some

health risks and they should seek remediation as soon as possible by talking to a medical

professional, in addition to a fitness/nutrition specialists. Lastly, a score of 20 and below means

that the individual could potentially be engaging in extremely risky habits. This could be
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harmful, and they should seek professional help immediately to start a healthier lifestyle. The

good news is that this assessment tool is the start of that path to a healthier life.

WHOLE-HEALTH ASSESSMENT TOOL

Almost
A. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Never Seldom Sometimes Often
Always
1. I spend at least 60 minutes a day being
1 2 3 4 5
physically active.
2. I engage in strengthening activities at
1 2 3 4 5
least 3 time a week.
3. I incorporate stretching and warm-ups in
1 2 3 4 5
my physical activity regiment.
4. I often try to find physical activities that
1 2 3 4 5
I enjoy doing.
Total score: 19

Almost
B. EATING HABITS Never Seldom Sometimes Often
Always

1. I avoid sugary/salty drinks and snacks. 1 2 3 4 5

2. I incorporate a variety of fruits and
1 2 3 4 5
veggies into my daily meals.
3. I try to make healthier choices when
1 2 3 4 5
eating out.
4. I am mindful of food labels and what I
1 2 3 4 5
put into my body.

Total score: 12

Almost
C. TOBACCO/SUBSTANCE USE Never Seldom Sometimes Often
Always

1. I avoid tobacco products. 1 2 3 4 5

2. I avoid second-hand smoke. 1 2 3 4 5

3. I avoid tobacco alternatives (vaping,

1 2 3 4 5
hookah pipes).

4. I avoid consuming alcoholic drinks. 1 2 3 4 5

Total score: 19
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Almost
D. STRESS CONTROL Never Seldom Sometimes Often
Always

1. I enjoy my job/school. 1 2 3 4 5

2. I try to have some down time after a

1 2 3 4 5
hectic work week.

3. I prepare ahead of time for stressful

1 2 3 4 5
events.

4. I have a support system (friends/family). 1 2 3 4 5

Total score: 12

Almost
E. SAFETY HABITS Never Seldom Sometimes Often
Always
1. I try to sleep 7-8 hours per night. 1 2 3 4 5

2. I use the cars seatbelt. 1 2 3 4 5

3. I follow safety precautions while driving
1 2 3 4 5
(obey traffic rules and avoid distractions).

4. I try to protect my skin against UV rays. 1 2 3 4 5

Total score: 16

Overall Score: 78

Reflection

Strategies for Change

While I have learned to make better choices in the past two years after giving birth to my

daughter, there is still a lot of room for personal improvement as reflected by my assessment

scores above. My main struggles come from the weeks where stress is high, which causes me to

snack on bad stuff. I also do not get enough sleep, or get enough down (relaxing) time. I try not

to make any of this a habit. It all occurs occasionally, and that can lead to even more bad choices.
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To add more down time, I could incorporate more relaxation techniques like walking outside

away from electronics/stressful distractions. I could also start doing yoga during my rest days

from workouts to help my stress levels go down. When it comes to making better snack choices,

I could prepare snacks at the beginning of the week so they are ready to go whenever I need

them. Lastly, to get more sleep, I could perhaps start taking naps on weekends or learn to ask for

more help from others so I can get more breaks during the day. I am not one to ever ask for

favors, and this is something that could be helped with the assistance of friends. We do not have

family nearby as we are military, but I can always try to reach out to my fellow mom friends in

the area, or sign my daughter up for daycare.

Strengths

After reflecting on this assignment and this weeks readings, I realized that I do have

some good strengths that keep me on track each day. One of those strengths, is my ability to

make (mostly) good choices with food the days when I am not under high stress. I will admit that

some weeks are not great; but after embarking a lifestyle change after pregnancy, I have made it

a point to try to make better food choices. I have also continuously stayed active, and work out

on average three to six times a week. I have lost over thirty-seven pounds since January of this

year. I do enjoy staying active, and I can even trick myself into good will power by not

purchasing items like sweets and other processed foods. I am mostly good at staying away from

my daughters snacks, which is helpful for my wellness goals. I have learned to not give into

temptation as much as I used to before. This assessment is a very accurate measure of where I

stand in my state of wellness, and serves as a great reminder that I still need to find some better

alternatives for those areas where I struggle such as stress management, more sleep, and eating

well every day.

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Leading the Work Place to a Healthier Lifestyle

I could use this assessment tool at my classroom for my students. I could tailor the

questions to better fit the different classroom ages, and I could use this specific assessment on

the childrens families and even my co-workers. I believe in the sense of village in that, we all

must come together to make change happen; this means surrounding yourself with positive

people that also make good choices. A test like this can influence people to reflect on their

lifestyle choices, see where they need to make changes, and better understand their strengths.

However, this is not to say that people should never eat a candy or celebrate by staying up late at

a party. I do believe that it is unrealistic to lead a perfect life of no sweets or vacation behavior

24/7. Some unhealthy behaviors are called for at times (like having that slice of birthday cake),

but everything should be done in moderation.

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References

BC Cancer Agency. (2017). A comprehensive cancer control program for BC. Retrieved October

20, 2017, from http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/

BC Cancer Agency. (n.d.). Healthy Living Questionnaire. Retrieved October 20, 2017, from

http://www.hi5living.org/pdf/Hi5Living_SelfAssessment_2015.pdf

Bobroff, L. B. (2015, June). Healthstyle: A Self-Test. Retrieved October 20, 2017, from

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HE/HE77800.pdf

Harvard University. (2017, February 02). Disease Prevention. Retrieved October 22, 2017, from

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/disease-prevention/