Assessment 453 and strength and conditioning students were able to put their newly acquired skills to the test at the biannual Health Fair.
The Health Fair was hosted by the kinesiology department and organized by assistant professor of kinesiology and health studies Dr. Wynn Gillan. It took place Thursday, April 30 from 12 to 2 p.m. in the Student Union.
At the fair, students were able to get their blood pressure taken, check cholesterol levels and glucose levels. In addition, the strength and conditioning class and Assessment 453 students plan to further promote health on campus by displaying various beneficial exercises and explaining body mass index.
“We have different things we go over: blood glucose level, cholesterol, blood pressure,” said coordinator Evelyn Lagarde. “We learn how to take the blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the class. We have handouts. We also have strength and fitness in the end, where we show body mass index, how strong you are in the hands, how high you can jump and strength and flexibility.”
The fair not only promotes health to students outside of the assessment class, but also helps prepare students for future careers and lifestyle choices.
“Part of promoting health is identifying those people who are at risk of heart disease and other diseases,” said Gillan. “The idea is that if you could find something out early, you can take those steps to preventing it. That is all part of health promotion. I realized it could help if students have these skills, like measuring glucose and cholesterol and understanding what diabetes is. That is why I started this class.”
Gillian’s assessment class mainly covers diseases. Students are given the chance to test for certain illnesses by administering various tests to identify these types of diseases such as cholesterol tests, which involve pricking someone’s finger for blood or taking blood pressure. Cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings are a good way to determine if a person is in risk of developing heart disease.
“We go over many of the chronic diseases that are out there: hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and cancer,” said Gillan. “We can’t screen for cancer, but we can screen for the other ones. Throughout the course, we’ve been learning about these diseases and how they can be identified and what tests we can use to see if whether someone is diabetic or hypertensive. They get a chance to try and do that and get the skills.”
The main purpose of the Health Fair was to bring awareness to the students on campus.
“This is to bring awareness to health,” said Lagarde. “Most students on campus are fairly healthy because they are all young, but they need to pay attention to this as they get older. So, it’s good to know about these things and what your levels are. Sometimes your levels are not what you expect.”