| dc.description.abstract | Several studies have already reported that ministers are experiencing high levels of
stress due to career demands, role conflict and personal situations (Roux, 1992:227;
Scholtz, 1996:134; Kellerman, 2000:28). Stress is detrimental to general health and is
the primary reason why ministers leave the ministry (Andrew, 1997:15, Virginia, 1998:50; Swart et al., 2000:339; Bisschoff & Schoeman, 2003:52). Research showed
that regular physical activity and maintaining a good level of physical fitness has positive effects on physical and psycho-emotional health (Paffenbarger, 1994:860; Margetts et al., 1999:97; Botha, 200:237; Fourie, 2002:7). In this respect, it became clear that participation in physical activity may decrease the risk of developing coronary
heart disease and other illness through it's likely buffering effect against the negative
effects of stress (Barlow et al., 1990:392; Bouchard & Despres, 1995:270; Stofan et al.,
1998: 1808; Le Roux, 2000:59; Schlebusch, 2000:50). The objective of this study was firstly to determine interaction of physical activity on the relationship between coronary risk index and happiness and quality of life of South African Dutch Reformed ministers. Secondly, to determine the interaction of physical activity with coronary risk index in respect of years of service, congregation size, co-ministership and congregation type, and thirdly, to study the interaction of physical
activity with happiness and quality of life in respect of the last mentioned demographic
parameters. The subjects were 340 male ministers of the Dutch reformed church, who
volunteered to participate in the study. The quality of participation in physical activity
was determined with Sharkey's (1997:432) physical activity index. The risk of
developing coronary heart disease was determined by Bjurnstrom and Alexiou's
(1978:524-525) coronary risk index assessment, while happiness or quality of life was measured by using the Affectometer 2 of Kammann and Flett (1983:259). The mean index of physical activity participation was 33.81 ± 32.30 which could be classified as fair, although 32.2% of the subjects fell in the low activity group. The coronary risk index showed that 19.9% of the population indicated a high risk of developing coronary artery disease, while 48.9% indicated a low level of happiness and quality of life. Significant (p10.05) relationships between physical activity, coronary risk index, happiness and quality of life were found among the high activity and low activity
groups. Physical activity indicated a positive effect on the coronary risk index, independent of happiness and quality of life, as well as years of service, congregation
size, co-ministership and congregation type. Physical activity also indicated a positive
effect on happiness and quality of life, independent of years of service, congregation size, co-ministership and congregation type. In most cases physical activity also showed a significant interaction on the relationships between coronary risk index and years of service, congregation size, co-ministership and congregation type, as well as on the relationships between happiness and quality of life and the last mentioned demographic parameters. This study indicated that the ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church who participated
in this study operated in a danger zone regarding their happiness and quality of life.
Physical activity can be regarded as a salutogenic and preventative modality on the
interaction of physical activity among the relationships between demographic factors,
coronary risk index, happiness and quality of life of Dutch Reformed ministers. It was
also concluded that physical activity can be regarded as a salutogenic modality in the
physical and psychological wellness of South African ministers of religion. | |
