ELCA, Mayo Clinic Offer 2006 Health Risk Assessment

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) Board of Pensions, Minneapolis, and ELCA Vocation and
Education are encouraging the church's pastors, professional lay
ministers, employees, seminarians and their families to take the
third annual Mayo Clinic Health Risk Assessment at
http://www.ELCAforwellness.org/ through Feb. 28. Mayo Foundation
for Medical Education and Research, Rochester, Minn., manages the
interactive online program.
"The 2006 ELCA road map for wellness is to increase physical
activity, decrease caloric intake and live prayerfully," said
Tammy L. Devine, wellness coordinator, ELCA Board of Pensions.
Devine is a registered nurse and an ELCA diaconal minister who
serves the church through the Board in collaboration with ELCA
Vocation and Education.
"Live as a wise steward of the gift of your body, mind and
spirit. Invest in your health and well-being. Annually grow in
understanding your health risks by taking the Health Risk
Assessment," Devine urged members of the ELCA health plan.
"Choose to love and care for yourself by making good choices so
that you can live, love and shine as Christ loves you," she said.
The online program allows users to assess their health risks
and develop plans to stay healthy. Users provide health-related
information, such as blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol and
glucose counts. Users receive instant, individualized online
reports from Mayo Clinic that outline health risks and prioritize
actions that can be taken.
Information entered in the assessment is confidential. The
ELCA Board of Pensions receives summary information about the
respondents as a group.
There were 4,485 ELCA leaders and adult members of their
families who took a similar Mayo Clinic Health Risk Assessment at
the beginning of 2004. At the start of 2005 there were 3,581 who
took the online survey. A total 7,061 people took part in the
first two years.
A cohort of 1,005 people took the assessment both times it
was offered, which made it possible for Mayo Clinic to analyze
information charting progress in the health planning and
performance of this group. The clinic's 2005 report noted it
could "draw broad conclusions" from the data, but there were too
few participants in each category to make specific observations
about pastors or people in other categories.
"The cohort results indicate improvement in the percentage
of participants with the most prevalent medical conditions: high
cholesterol, hypertension, depression, arthritis and allergies.
A slight drop in the use of some prescription drugs was also
reported by the cohort," the report said.
Analyzing the cohort data also showed participants were
growing more willing to change, especially in the areas of
increased exercise, better nutrition and weight loss.
Each user completing the 2006 assessment may choose to
receive a free copy of "Stretch and Pray: A Daily Discipline for
Physical and Spiritual Wellness" by the Rev. Murray D. Finck,
bishop of the ELCA Pacifica Synod, Yorba Linda, Calif.
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The home page of the ELCA Board of Pensions is at
http://www.ELCAbop.org/ on the Web. ELCA Vocation and
Education's wellness information is at
http://www.ELCA.org/health/ on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog