The wellness center hosts free health screenings in the Science Building Atrium on the second Wednesday and Thursday of every month. Students, faculty and staff who are interested in checking their blood pressure and body composition are invited to attend.
It’s really good for students to see what their blood pressure is. If they are doing this every month, they can kind of check back and see if they are improving, said Trevor Carter, assistant coordinator for wellness programs. The tests are simple and take less than 20 minutes to complete. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 of 3 U.S. adults – or about 75 million people – have high blood pressure. While half of those have it under control, high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney problems and more. Heart disease is also a leading cause of death for women and men and is the leading cause of death of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States. The sooner high blood pressure is caught, the better.
We generally try to add something else in there, so [students] are not just getting results, they are also getting some fun information, said Carter. It can be intimidating … [the activities] serve as an icebreaker.The wellness program coordinates the event, which includes games, prizes and a table with basic health information laid out. February is heart health month, so the information was centered on tips and tricks for improving cardiovascular health. The testing area is surrounded by a barrier for increased privacy, and no private health information is discussed. The tests are not comprehensive, but do provide a basic outline of where health could be improved.
Wellness program interns conduct the tests and record the results on a sheet of paper that contains information on what healthy blood pressure levels and body fat percentages look like. Participants are given simple tips to improve unhealthy or negative results. Both [result papers] contain a blurb for improving your results … and it tells you what blood pressure or body composition is. It explains the difference between systolic and diastolic pressure, said Heather Rowley, senior in community health and wellness program intern.
Body composition, or body mass index, is a basic tool for understanding how much fat is in the body. However, it is not entirely accurate and does not differentiate between the fat you need and excess. A high BMI means a person is obese and leads to a myriad of health problems including high blood pressure, type two diabetes, cancer and metabolic syndrome. The best way to lower BMI is to eat a diet low in cholesterol and fat, and exercising for 20-30 minutes a day.
While BMI and high blood pressure are serious health issues, they can be prevented and managed by living a healthier lifestyle. There are several programs available on campus to help students, staff and faculty live a healthier lifestyle without emptying their wallets.
