Assessment: Just over half University of Iowa employees ‘thriving,’ other half ‘struggling’

• 53 percent of University of Iowa respondents were thriving in 2024, while 46 percent were struggling
• 55 percent said they had "too much to do"
• 84 percent reported poor nutrition, or low fruit and vegetable intake
• 35 percent of UI respondents were "obese," while 34 percent had a "healthy" body mass index

IOWA CITY — Of the more than 10,000 University of Iowa faculty and staff who completed a “personal health assessment” in 2024, just over half said they’re “thriving” — while the other nearly half said they’re “struggling.”

Looking at “productivity barriers” flagged in the assessment — completed by 10,089 of the 21,783 UI faculty and staff eligible to take the survey — 55 percent said they have “too much to do,” 39 percent reported financial stress, and 31 percent said their productivity was hindered because they’re “taking care of someone else.”

Every productivity hindrance highlighted in the new 2024 “Campus Well-Being” annual report — including health conditions, lack of resources, and lack of training — showed an increase over pre-pandemic levels in the percent of employees affected.

So where 55 percent said they had too much to do last year, 51 percent said the same in 2019; where 31 percent said taking care of someone else hindered their productivity in 2024, 24 percent said so in 2019; and where financial stress was an issue for 39 percent last year, it hindered 31 percent in 2019.

The faculty and staff assessment and subsequent wellness report come at a time of growing unrest across college and university campuses nationally and locally — with enrollment cliffs looming; lawmakers demanding campus culture shifts; federal funding in limbo; and appropriations on the line.

The 10,000-plus UI faculty and staff who completed the survey represented an uptick from the 8,817 respondents in 2023, but less than the 11,596 who responded in 2019.

“The personal health assessment helps inform strategic decisions to support faculty and staff health and disease prevention at the University of Iowa,” UI spokesman Chris Brewer told The Gazette of the survey that’s been administered across the UI workforce since 2006.

That was the year UI launched its “liveWELL Program” — aimed at supporting employee health and well-being.

“Employee success and well-being are at the heart of the University of Iowa strategic plan, reflected in a variety of programs and tools to support individual and departmental well-being,” according to the UI liveWELL website.

Those tools include the personal health assessment; free health coaching; and a recreation membership incentive program offering to cut the $40 monthly fee in half — among other things.

“These services support the health of our faculty and staff population through health enhancement and disease prevention,” Brewer said. “With the UI being self-funded for our employee health plans, these programs also help to manage health care costs and associated premium rates for health insurance.”

According to the 2024 annual report, 11,493 faculty and staff members touched a liveWELL service, program, or event over the year. Among those, 408 received free health coaching to aid lifestyle changes — like improving sleep routines, managing stress, building health eating habits, and staying active.

“Meeting with a health coach provides an opportunity to develop tailored goals and receive support navigating the process of achieving those goals,” Brewer said.

Health metrics

Looking at specific health behaviors, a large majority of UI respondents — 84 percent — reported “poor nutrition,” or low fruit and vegetable intake, up from 76 percent in 2019. More than a third reported poor sleep, up from 31 percent; 37 percent lacked physical exercise, up from 34 percent; and 21 percent had unmanaged stress, up from 15 percent.

The 46 percent of UI respondents who reported “struggling” in 2024 represented a 13 percentage point increase over the 33 percent who said so in 2019. The 53 percent who said they were “thriving” in 2024 likewise was 13 percentage points below the 66 percent who said they were in 2019.

And, compared to U.S. data from Gallup, Inc. in 2023, the portion of UI respondents who said they were struggling was above the 43 percent nationally — although UI’s 2 percent of “suffering” respondents was below the 5 percent nationally, according to the annual report.

Looking at body mass index, both the university and the state reported a higher percent who were obese than in a healthy range — with 35 percent of UI respondents reaching a BMI of 30 or above and 37 percent characterized as obese statewide.

A larger percent of UI respondents were in the healthy range than at the state level, with 34 percent compared to Iowa’s 29 percent. And the percent of UI respondents with diabetes was much lower than the state rate, at 5 percent compared with 12 percent.

Iowa State, UNI

Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa also offer well-being programs — with Iowa State for 2024 reporting growing enrollment in its “Adventure2” online well-being and engagement portal launched in 2017.

Employee registration swelled to more than 3,550 in 2024 — an increase from just over 1,500 in 2018.

In assessing its campus’ mental and physical wellness, Iowa State reported 27 percent are actively engaged — defined as “the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in both their work and workplace.” That is nearly 8 percentage points below a national engagement rate of 35 percent.

The burnout risk for ISU employees — “defined as an employee with high engagement and high stress” — was 11 percent in 2024, nearly double the national 6 percent.

The campus in 2019 reported active engagement at 26 percent and a burnout risk of 9 percent.

Looking at individual health and well-being metrics, Iowa State employees reported year-over-year drops in job satisfaction, support, work growth, and feeling a “sense of team.” ISU respondents reported year-over-year increases in work-life balance, stress management, self-care, nutrition, and fitness.

UNI does not produce an annual report.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com