Transit Operator Health and Wellness Programs (2004)

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52 GLOSSARY Cardiovascular diseases—Diseases pertaining to the heart and blood vessels. Diabetes (mellitus)—Chronic metabolic disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy. Disease management—According to the Disease Manage- ment Association of America, disease management is a system of coordinated healthcare interventions and communications for populations with conditions in which patient self-care efforts are significant. Disease management supports the physician–patient relationship and plan of care, emphasizes prevention of reoccur- rences and complications, and evaluates treatment out- comes on an ongoing basis. Health—According to the World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well- being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health and wellness program—For the purposes of this synthesis, a planned series of ongoing activities to im- prove the health and well-being of transit operations. Health risk—A factor that can cause the progression of a disease to be more or less rapid. Risk factors do not cause diseases. They affect the rate of development of the disease. Health risk appraisal/assessment—Measurement of a per- son’s health risks at a given time. Health screenings—Activities that include measurement of blood pressure, blood lipid levels, height and weight, and body fat. Wellness—According to the National Wellness Institute (NWI), wellness is an active process of becoming aware and making choices toward a more successful existence. The NWI definition of wellness includes six dimen- sions: (1) physical, fitness, nutrition; (2) spiritual, val- ues, ethics; (3) intellectual; (4) social, family, commu- nity, environmental; (5) emotional; and (6) occupational, vocational.