| Abstract [eng] |
In recent years, wellness promotion initiatives have gained increasing popularity, particularly among individuals seeking natural and holistic ways to enhance their physical and mental health. The Lithuanian Health Promotion Association organizes various health-related challenges aimed at fostering healthy lifestyle habits and transforming participants’ attitudes toward health. Research indicates that such wellness challenges—such as cold-water immersion and sugar detox programs—can strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation and pain, improve subjective well-being, and encourage a more positive outlook on the importance of wellness practices in daily life. Research: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of wellness challenges organized by the Lithuanian Health Promotion Association on participants’ attitudes and health. Objectives: 1. To assess the prevalence of different wellness practices and methods among participants of various health challenges. 2. To evaluate the participants’ subjective well-being before and after participating in wellness challenges. 3. To determine the influence of wellness challenges on participants’ attitudes towards health. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted. The literature review was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect (Elsevier), the Lithuanian Academic Electronic Library (eLABa), and World Health Organization (WHO) documents. Results: The study involved 137 participants of wellness challenges organized by the Lithuanian Health Promotion Association: 40 men (29.2%) and 97 women (70.8%). Most respondents were residents of the Vilnius city municipality. Subjective health was assessed using a Likert scale, where a higher score indicated better health. The average health rating before participation in the wellness challenges was 3.54 (SD = 0.72). After participating in the "ice hole" challenge, the average rating increased to 4.45 (SD = 0.61), and after the sugar detox challenge, it rose to 4.28 (SD = 0.61). Participants in both the cold water and sugar detox challenges rated their health more positively after the challenges, and this improvement was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Participation also contributed to long-term lifestyle changes. Following the "ice hole" challenge, more than 40% of respondents adopted new wellness habits, while over 24% did so after the sugar detox challenge. Conclusions: Participation in the "ice hole" and sugar detox challenges organized by the Lithuanian Health Promotion Association had a significant impact on participants’ well-being. Respondents reported reduced fatigue, fewer colds, decreased stress, and improved sleep quality. These wellness challenges also encouraged long-term healthy lifestyle changes, such as improved diet, increased physical activity, and more conscious health education. Keywords: Cold water exposure, sugar reduction, negative effects of sugar, holistic health. |
