Health Promoting Self-Care: Evaluating the Impact of 28-Day Food and Fitness Program on the Physical and Mental Well-Being of Health Care Workers

Abstract

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of the 28-Day Food and Fitness Program on the physical and mental well-being of health care workers. Social determinants of health significantly impact an individual’s overall well-being and quality of life. Access to nutritious foods and physical activity is crucial to positive physical and mental well-being. The urgency for hospital executives, administrators, and leaders to prioritize the physical and mental well-being of health care workers has become increasingly evident with unprecedented rates of burnout, stress, and turnover following the COVID-19 pandemic. This 8-week prospective cohort study followed 65 multidisciplinary health care workers from a single Santa Monica, California, hospital, who voluntarily signed-up for a 28-day Food and Fitness Program in the spring of 2022. Participants completed body composition testing pre- and-post-intervention, and were surveyed using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) scale at baseline, 28 days (4 weeks), and 56 days (8 weeks). Pre- and-post-intervention data showed nonsignificant decreases in variables such as weight and body mass index with increases in lean body and skeletal muscle mass. Mean scores for all 3 subcategories of the ProQOL numerically improved from baseline, but did not reach statistical significance. Preliminary results support use of the 28-Day Food and Fitness Program to improve caregiver physical and mental well-being, but further research is needed to quantify impact more reliably.