An ecological model of group well-being: implications for health promotion with older women

One promising context for health promotion with older individuals is the continuing small group, meeting on a regular basis for participation in health and wellness activities. As the facilitator of such a group, I have been conducting research using ethnographic and constant comparative methods on the dimensions of group well-being. Three core themes are described: (a) group as ritual, (b) group as celebration, and (c) group as community. Findings extend my previous report (Ruffing-Rahal, 1989) of constructs of well-being among older persons by delineating the small-group properties of well-being.