Effects of psychological hardiness, job demands, and job control on sickness absence: A prospective study.

This study prospectively investigated the effects of psychological hardiness, job control, and job demands on medically certified sickness absence. Data from a questionnaire survey were combined with archival data for sickness absence among 7,239 civilian and military employees of the Norwegian Armed Forces (84.3% male, 69.8% military). A 2-component hurdle regression was used in the statistical analyses of the sickness absence data. After controlling for age, sex, and baseline absence, hardiness predicted both the likelihood of having any sickness absence (odds ratio = 0.97) and the number of absence spells (a 6.5% decrease in the expected count for 1 standard deviation change in hardiness). In addition, an interaction was found among hardiness, job control, and psychological demands. When demands were high, high job control was associated with more absence among employees with low levels of hardiness. Together, these findings point to hardiness as an important individual resource in relation to health, and that it is necessary to consider individual differences when examining the effects of work characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Energy intake and net weight gain in pregnant women according to body mass index (BMI) status

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether body mass index (BMI) is related to energy intake during pregnancy, and whether BMI, energy intake and other factors are related to net weight gain. DESIGN: Longitudinal, duration of pregnancy. SUBJECTS: 156 healthy pregnant women residing in Quedlinburg county, Germany. METHODS: Weighed 7 d food records and standardized anthropometric measures in the first, second and third trimester. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical technique was used to analyze differences in energy intake, net weight gain and birthweight across BMI groups, and the Cochran-Mantel Haenszel test was used to analyze food group intake by BMI group. RESULTS: Women at the highest level of BMI were significantly less often in the high energy intake category than women at the medium or low level of BMI (15% vs 36% and 48%). Net weight gain during pregnancy was independently influenced by BMI status and energy intake. Women at the highest level of BMI gained significantly less weight (4.2 kg) from first to third trimester than women at the medium or low levels of BMI (weight gains of 6.2 kg and 5.9 kg, respectively). Women with a low daily energy intake gained 4.6 kg during pregnancy, while women with medium and high energy intakes gained 6.0 kg and 6.1 kg, respectively. Examination of net weight gain simultaneously across BMI and parity groups revealed a much lower net weight gain among multigravid women at the highest BMI level (3.3 kg). Primigravid high BMI women, in contrast, gained 6.9 kg, whereas multigravid and primigravid women at medium and low BMI levels gained average of 4.8 kg and 6.5 kg, respectively. The mean birth weight in the three BMI groups did not differ and was not influenced by age, marital status, education, parity or smoking. CONCLUSION: Because other studies have shown that weight gain during pregnancy increases the risk of subsequent overweight, multigravid high BMI women may prevent an increased weight retention after pregnancy due to lower weight gain in the current gestation. A lower caloric diet may help to accomplish a lower weight gain during pregnancy in overweight women without increased risk of low birth weight infants. These findings indicate further investigation of the associations between BMI, parity and caloric intake during pregnancy are needed to increase understanding of factors affecting subsequent weight gain.     

Psychosocial work stressors in the development and maintenance of insomnia: A prospective study.

This study is aimed at examining whether psychosocial work stressors are related to the development and maintenance of insomnia. A prospective design was used with a baseline and a 1-year follow-up questionnaire (N = 1,530). The results showed that among individuals with no insomnia at baseline, high work demands increased the risk of developing insomnia 1 year later. Among participants with insomnia at baseline, high leader support decreased the risk of still reporting insomnia at follow-up. Finally, low influence over decisions and high work demands were related to the maintenance of insomnia. The results indicate that perceived work stressors are related to the development and maintenance of insomnia. This might have implications for how insomnia is conceptualized as it places work stressors in the model and for how interventions at different stages of insomnia are implemented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How may nonresponse affect findings in organizational surveys? The tendency-to-the-positive effect.

Building on previous findings that those who hold negative attitudes toward the organization have a relatively low likelihood to participate in organizational surveys, the authors examined the impact of nonresponse on the findings of organizational surveys. An artificial example showed that if the likelihood to respond depends on one's standing on response-related variables, the scores on these latter variables will differ from those for the population, whereas between-organization differences in these variables will be underestimated. Consistent with earlier findings, our survey among employees of 96 Dutch home care organizations revealed that employees of high-response organizations reported more positive attitudes toward their work and organization than others. This underlines the importance of obtaining high response rates in organizational studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Job insecurity in white-collar workers: Toward an explanation of association with health.

This article describes 2 studies that examined changes in psychosocial work characteristics (job strain model) and health-related behaviors as potential explanations of the job insecurity–health relationship in a longitudinal cohort of white-collar British civil servants. Job insecurity arising from anticipation of change was associated with a modest increase in self-reported morbidity, whereas chronic job insecurity was associated with some adverse physiological changes. Anticipation of change and chronic job insecurity were associated with adverse changes in other psychosocial work characteristics, but few changes were significant and consistent across both exposure groups. Changes in health-related behaviors associated with either exposure were slight. Apart from a minor role for social support at work in both sexes and a modest role for job demands in women, adverse changes in these factors explain little of the job insecurity–health relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Symptoms of depression and changes in body weight from adolescence to mid-life

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of symptoms of depression to weight changes in healthy individuals of normal weight across a follow-up of over 20 y. PARTICIPANTS AND DESIGN: College students (3885 men and 841 women) were administered a self-report depression measure in the mid-1960s. Their baseline body mass index (BMI) was calculated from their college medical records. Participants were contacted by mail in the late 1980s and asked to report their current height and weight as well as their smoking and exercise habits. Another measure of depressive symptoms was obtained from 3560 individuals at follow-up. Multiple regression models were used to relate changes in weight to depression scores while controlling for background (gender, baseline BMI and the gender by BMI interaction) and behavioral (exercise and smoking) predictors. RESULTS: The relationship between depressive symptoms and body weight change took the form of an interaction with baseline BMI (P < 0.001). Those with high baseline depression scores gained less weight than their nondepressed counterparts if they were initially lean, but more if they were initially heavy. This trend was especially strong in those with high depression scores at both baseline and follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the hypothesis that depression exaggerates pre-existing weight change tendencies. This pattern would not have been detected by an examination of main effects alone, illustrating the need to move toward more complicated interactive models in the study of psychological factors and weight.     

Differential effects of BMI on diabetes risk among black and white Americans

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the associations of BMI and fat distribution with diabetes risk are modified by race. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Epidemiologic Follow-up Study (1971-1992), were used to investigate potential interactions of BMI and fat distribution with race. Incident diabetes was defined by self-report of physician-diagnosed diabetes, hospital and nursing home discharge records, and death certificates. RESULTS: Among the 1,531 black and 9,852 white subjects who were nondiabetic at baseline, 1,139 (10.0%) developed diabetes during 20 years of follow-up. Although the cumulative risk of diabetes increased with baseline BMI in all four race-sex groups, the sex-specific odds ratios (ORs) for black:white subjects decreased with increasing BMI. In particular, for BMI of 22 kg/m2, the OR of diabetes for black:white individuals was 1.87 and 1.76 (P < 0.01) for men and women, respectively; for BMI of 32 kg/m2, the OR decreased to 0.99 and 1.20 (NS) for men and women, respectively. Skinfold ratio was also associated with increased diabetes risk in all race-sex groups, but did not modify the association between race and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the effect of BMI on diabetes risk is different for black and white Americans, with a larger risk for blacks than whites at low BMI and an equivalent risk for both groups at high BMI. A lower degree of visceral adiposity among blacks at higher BMI or a greater impact of visceral adiposity among blacks at low BMI may help explain the interaction of race and BMI on diabetes risk.     

Job Strain, Job Insecurity, and Health: Rethinking the Relationship.

Job strain (high demands and low control) is a widely used measure of work stress. The authors introduce a new way of looking at work stress by combining job strain with job insecurity, a combination increasingly prevalent in contemporary economies, using data from a cross-sectional survey (N = 1,188) of mid-aged Australian managers and professionals. Those reporting both strain and insecurity showed markedly higher odds for mental and physical health problems (depression: odds ratio [OR] 13.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.67-34.01; anxiety: OR 12.88, CI 5.12-32.39; physical health problems: OR 3.97, CI 1.72-9.16; and poor self-rated health: OR 7.12, CI 2.81-18.01). Job strain and insecurity showed synergistic associations with health, and employees experiencing both could be at heightened health risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Weight changes in caregivers of Alzheimer's care recipients: Psychobehavioral predictors.

Relationships of changes in body mass index (BMI) were examined with changes in psychobehavioral variables in spouse caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease (n?=?81) and matched spouses of controls (n?=?86). Men caregivers had significantly greater BMI and obesity than men controls at both times. Over 15–18 months, women caregivers gained significantly more weight than did women controls. A trend for greater obesity occurred in women caregivers than in women controls at follow-up. Although weight gain was not related to psychobehavioral variables in controls, in men caregivers decreased perceived control and increased fat intake explained significant variance in weight gain. In women caregivers, increased anger control and increased calories explained weight gain. Such caregivers may be at risk for health problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking associated with alcoholism: introduction to the major human dependencies

We examined the relation between Quetelet's body mass index (BMI) and age-adjusted mortality risk from specific diseases in a 26-year prospective cohort study of 12,576 non-Hispanic white women who had never smoked. To account for effects due to antecedent disease, we focused on women surviving 15-26 years after their report of body weight. High BMI (>27 kg per m2) decreased the risk of fatal respiratory disease (hazard ratios of 0.7 for ages 30-54 years and 0.6 for ages 55-74 years) but increased risk in all other disease categories. Low BMI (<21 kg per m2) increased the risk of fatal respiratory disease (hazard ratios of 2.0 for ages 30-54 years and 1.4 for ages 55-74 years). Among middle-aged women (ages 30-54 years), we found that low BMI also increased the risk of certain fatal cardiovascular diseases (hazard ratios of 1.5 for cerebrovascular death and 2.5 for hypertensive and other cardiovascular deaths), but the increase in the risk of fatal cerebrovascular disease did not remain (hazard ratio of 0.4) after exclusion of subarachnoid and intraparenchymal hemorrhage deaths from the endpoint. Although the inverse relation between BMI and risk of fatal respiratory disease was also evident in the subset who reported body weight 17 years after baseline, further restriction of this subset to stable-weight women reporting no history of respiratory disease resulted in a U-shaped relation. Data from this subset also indicated that weight loss substantially increased the risk of fatal respiratory disease. These findings implicate high and low BMI as risk factors for fatal respiratory disease but suggest that the risk due to high BMI was obscured by weight loss that followed the onset of disease. The overall findings support an association between obesity and a higher risk of fatal disease but also raise the possibility that apparently healthy, never-smoking women can experience a higher long-term risk of fatal cardiovascular and respiratory diseases due to a lower body weight.     

Wedded to the job: Moderating effects of job involvement on the consequences of job insecurity.

Two hundred eighty-three public-sector employees experiencing a workplace reorganization completed surveys assessing the relationships between job involvement and job insecurity on self-report measures of psychological, behavioral, and physical outcomes. Using C. L. Hulin's (see record 1993-97200-008) job adaptation theory, differential predictions were made regarding the specific outcomes of job insecurity for high job involvement versus low job involvement employees. Results indicate that employees who were highly invested in their jobs were most adversely affected by job insecurity. Specifically, they reported more negative job attitudes, more health problems, and a higher level of psychological distress than their less involved counterparts when they perceived their jobs to be threatened. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smoking-specific weight gain concerns and smoking cessation in a working population.

Smoking cessation rates, progression in stage of change for smoking cessation, and serious quit attempts were examined over 2 years in a cohort of 242 men and women smokers (mean age 39.7 years, mean body mass index [BMI] 26.3) as a function of expressing concern about gaining weight because of quitting smoking. Participants were employees of 25 companies who were in a worksite health promotion program aimed at reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Multivariate odds ratios (controlled for age, education, job class, sex, and BMI) for quitting smoking, attempting to quit smoking, and progressing in stage of change for smoking cessation as a function of weight concern were not significant. Interactions between sex and weight concern, and BMI and weight concern were also not significant. These findings, in a working, predominantly blue-collar population, and those of other studies, suggest that concern about gaining weight is, at best, a weak predictor of change in smoking behavior among most smokers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical predictability of the waist-to-hip ratio in assessment of cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight, premenopausal women

The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is one of the most commonly used anthropometric measures to indicate a central obesity pattern and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in normal-weight women. Although the American Heart Association has reported that a WHR >0.80 be used to indicate increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women, the present study assessed the WHR above which is seen elevations in cardiovascular disease risk factors in a sample of overweight women. Using data from 240 women aged 27.5-47.5 y enrolled in a university weight-loss program, we determined WHR quartiles: <0.80, 0.80 to <0.84, 0.84 to <0.90, and > or =0.90. Subjects were placed into high-risk categories for cardiovascular disease on the basis of age- and population-defined norms. Women had an increased likelihood of elevated VLDL cholesterol, triacylglycerol, diastolic blood pressure, and composite risk (ie, having > or =4 cardiovascular disease risk factors) and an increased risk of having low concentrations of HDL at a WHR > or =0.90. All aforementioned variables had a significant odds ratio at a WHR > or =20.90 after adjustment for smoking, whereas elevated VLDL, triacylglycerol, and diastolic blood pressure were observed at this WHR after adjustment for a body mass index (in kg/m2) < or > or =35. Only 2 variables, VLDL and triacylglycerol, had a significant odds ratio at a WHR <0.90 before and after adjustment for BMI and smoking. These data suggest an upward shift in the critical threshold for WHR to > or =0.90, at which point there was an elevation in cardiovascular disease risk factors in already overweight women. This trend persisted regardless of whether the women smoked or whether their body mass index was < or > or =35.     

Countering the Negative Effects of Job Insecurity Through Participative Decision Making: Lessons From the Demand-Control Model.

This study examined the effectiveness of increased organizational participative decision making in attenuating the negative consequences of job insecurity. Data were collected from 807 employees in 6 different companies. Analyses suggest that job insecurity is related to lower coworker, work, and supervisor satisfaction and higher turnover intentions and work withdrawal behaviors. However, employees with greater participative decision-making opportunities reported fewer negative consequences of job insecurity compared with employees with fewer participative decision-making opportunities. Results are interpreted using the demand-control model and suggest that organizations that allow greater employee participative decision making may experience fewer negative side effects from today's rising levels of employee job insecurity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of exercise and estrogen therapy on lipid profiles of postmenopausal women

PURPOSE: We compared the effects of aerobic exercise training on lipid and lipoprotein levels in 18 postmenopausal women who were (N = 8) or were not (N = 10) receiving estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). METHODS: Each group was tested for lipids, diet recall and VO2max before and after a 12 wk exercise program, consisting of 30-50 min of an aerobic activity at 75-85% of VO2max, 3-4 sessions per week. RESULTS: Both groups increased VO2max by 8% and neither group changed their diet. The ERT group had higher levels of triglycerides and lower levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) (P < 0.01) before training. There were no mean group changes in any of the lipid variables with training. However, individual changes in LDL-C and Total Cholesterol (TC) were strongly related to baseline weight in the nonestrogen group (r = 109.91, r = -0.82) but not in ERT (r = -0.30, r = -0.51). Subsequently, all subjects were redivided into two groups based on BMI (< or = 27 or > or = 27) regardless of ERT status. TC decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the < or = 27 BMI group. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise training had little effect on the lipid profiles of the ERT and the nonestrogen groups, but body weight seems to be a modulating factor. Heavier subjects did not respond as favorably to 12 wk of exercise training as postmenopausal women with less body mass, regardless of the presence of exogenous estrogen.     

The economic costs associated with body mass index in a workplace

This study was undertaken to determine if a progressive correlation exists between body mass index (BMI), health care costs, and absenteeism and to identify an economically optimal BMI. We studied 3,066 First Chicago NBD employees by using health risk appraisals and personnel data. Analysis was completed for those employees with and without a risk for BMI. People at risk for BMI are more likely to have additional health risks, short-term disability and illness absence, and higher health care costs than those not at risk for BMI. A "J-shaped" curve between health care costs and BMI exists, with the low point occurring at about 25 to 27 kg/m2. We concluded that indirect and direct costs to an employer increase with increasing BMI. Employers may benefit from helping employees achieve a healthy weight. The initial target population should be those who are at highest risk of complications from obesity.     

The association of job strain and health behaviours in men and women

BACKGROUND: This study examined whether self-reported job strain, defined by the Karasek model was associated with some early, potentially modifiable cardiovascular (CVD)-related health characteristics. METHODS: Data were gathered in a 1989 cross-sectional survey of 3843 randomly selected men and women employees of 32 worksites in Minnesota. Sex-stratified crude and multivariate analyses examined the independent association of job psychological demands, latitude, and the combination of these two job domains (i.e. strain), to body mass index (BMI), smoking, exercise, and dietary fat intake. RESULTS: Job demands was positively associated with smoking, smoking intensity, and high fat intake in men and with BMI and smoking intensity in women. Job latitude was positively associated with exercise in men and women. High-strain men smokers smoked more than other workers and high-strain women had higher BMI than other women. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, self-reported job demands, latitude, and job strain were associated with some CVD-related health characteristics, but the effects were not similar in magnitude or direction for all characteristics and they varied by sex.     

To seek help or not to seek help: The risks of self-disclosure.

Investigations into the reasons why people seek counseling have, for the most part, focused on approach factors, those variables that are associated with a potential client's increased likelihood of seeking psychological services. The purpose of this research, however, is to explore the role of avoidance factors, those factors that are associated with a potential client's decreased likelihood of seeking services. Across 2 studies of primarily Caucasian college students (ns = 209 and 268, respectively). the results of simultaneous multiple regression analyses demonstrated that avoidance factors predict negative attitudes toward counseling as well as decreased intentions to seek counseling. Overall, results demonstrate that avoidance factors account for at least as much help-seeking variance as traditionally studied approach factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of body mass index and psychosocial factors on physical activity in underserved adolescent boys and girls.

Objective: Previous research indicates that body mass index (BMI) and sex are important factors in understanding physical activity (PA) levels. The present study examined the influence of BMI on psychosocial variables (self-efficacy, social support) and PA in underserved (ethnic minority, low income) boys in comparison with girls. Methods: Participants (N = 669; 56% girls; 74% African American) were recruited from the “Active by Choice Today” trial. Main Outcome Measures:BMI ? score was calculated from objectively collected height and weight data, and PA was assessed with 7-day accelerometry estimates. Self-report questionnaires were used to measure self-efficacy and social support (family, peers) for PA. Results: A 3-way interaction between BMI z score, sex, and family support on PA was shown such that family support was positively associated with PA in normal-weight but not overweight or obese boys, and was not associated with PA in girls. Self-efficacy had the largest effect size related to PA in comparison with the other psychosocial variables studied. Conclusions: Self-efficacy was found to be an important variable related to PA in underserved youth. Future studies should evaluate possible barriers to PA in girls, and overweight youth, to provide more effective family support strategies for underserved adolescents' PA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Socioeconomic incidences and prognostic factors of low back pain caused by occupational injuries among the hospital personnel of Grenoble University Hospital Center

Low back pain is generally believed to be common among hospital employees. This cross-sectional, retrospective study was carried out to determine the annual incidence of low back pain ascribable to occupational injuries in hospital employees and to evaluate factors influencing the prognosis of these injuries. In 1989, 70 employees working at the Grenoble Teaching Hospital (GTH) reported an occupational injury responsible for low back pain. Each of these employees filled out an epidemiological questionnaire during a routine evaluation by a rheumatologist. Overall annual incidence of occupational injuries with subsequent low back pain was 1.9% among GTH employees. Higher incidences were seen among employees whose occupations involved patient transfer, as well as among nursing assistants. Activities associated with an increased risk of low back pain included handling of patients or objects and work requiring prolonged periods in uncomfortable positions or in the standing position. A previous history of low back disease and a longer period of time in the current work were also associated with an increased risk of low back pain. Characteristic clinical profiles of patients with low back pain subsequent to occupational injury were determined by occupation and type of hospital department. The analysis of long-duration absence from work and long-term consequences on career confirmed the significant adverse socioeconomic impact of these injuries.