The CREATION Life acronym represents Choice, Rest, Environment, Activity, Trust, Interpersonal Relationships, Outlook, and Nutrition. The initial model of CREATION Life, formerly known as CREATION Health, considered all 8 principles to be equally important to the health and wellness of an individual. In order to more effectively improve well-being, the Center for Whole-Person Research is now developing other methods that describe and measure how the 8 principles of CREATION Health may explain and predict health and wellness.

Using existing health behavior models as a framework, this new theoretical model postulates that the four CREATION principles of Trust, Interpersonal Relationships, Outlook, and Environment lead to the CREATION principle of Choice and influence health-related decisions. These decisions are directly related to the three CREATION principles of Rest, Activity, and Nutrition.  In this model, the CREATION principle of Choice is both an outcome and a mediator.

This CREATION Life model can be implemented into a health care delivery model. Prior to receiving health education about making favorable health-related decisions, the four CREATION principles of Trust, Interpersonal Relationships, Outlook, and Environment are assessed in an individual because these principles can act as either facilitators of or barriers to the CREATION principle of Choice. Trust, Interpersonal Relationships, Outlook, and Environment describe an individual’s knowledge, beliefs, norms, traits, states, motivations, and abilities. These four principles allow us to assess and treat an individual’s spirit and mind to inform the way we heal their body together.

If these beliefs, states, and norms are healthy, an individual may be more responsive to lifestyle education. However, if these beliefs, states, and norms are unhealthy, an individual may be less responsive to lifestyle education. In this case, providing an intervention by a CREATION Life coach/clinician, pastoral care, and/or a mental health provider - prior to lifestyle education - could ultimately improve health-related decisions and outcomes for the individual.

Systematic assessment of whole person health in our communities will allow us to more effectively and efficiently target our treatments to meet our patients where they are on their health journey.