Using the theoretical context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study examined whether wor... more Using the theoretical context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study examined whether work has a disruptive influence on people’s ability to carry out their daily intentions to exercise, and whether daily planning helps overcome this. A daily questionnaire was completed by 42 employees for 14 days. A brief daily planning intervention was administered to half of the employees. Multilevel modelling was used to analyse the data. The moderating effects of daily perceived behavioural control (PBC), job demands and work-related anxiety and depression on the relationship between intention to exercise and subsequent behaviour were investigated, as well as the impact of the intervention. Intention and PBC predicted exercise. Job demands appeared to disrupt people’s ability to carry out their daily exercise intentions. Contrary to expectation, people in the no intervention group were more likely to exercise. Furthermore, on low-demand days they were most successful in realising their exercise intentions (when they intended to exercise for longer), whereas people in the intervention group, on high-demand days were least successful in realising their exercise intentions. The intervention may have operated contrary to expectation by drawing attention to potential failure.
Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries measuring positive affect, negative... more Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries measuring positive affect, negative affect, work hours, and health behaviors (snacking, smoking, exercise, alcohol, caffeine consumption) on work days over a 4-week period. In addition, measures of job demands, job control, and social support (iso-strain variables) were completed on 1 occasion. Multilevel random coefficient modeling was used to examine relationships between the
Written emotional disclosure (WED) has beneficial effects on health outcomes. However, its effect... more Written emotional disclosure (WED) has beneficial effects on health outcomes. However, its effectiveness is influenced by a number of variables. This exploratory study tested whether trait rumination, which comprises brooding, a maladaptive component, and reflection, an adaptive component, moderated the effects of WED on ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in female participants.
Karesek's demand±control model has been extremely in¯uential and is widely used to predict a rang... more Karesek's demand±control model has been extremely in¯uential and is widely used to predict a range of health outcomes, yet there have been comparatively few intervention studies and relatively little evidence of its impact on the design of work to improve health. This article discusses the tension between meeting the need for a model of psychosocial work factors and health outcomes which is simple enough to be theoretically useful in multidisciplinary research over a wide range of occupations yet is speci®c enough to generate useful information to in¯uence policies and guide interventions. It is suggested that the success of the model in driving research has led to the neglect of a range of other psychosocial factors. Furthermore, while the appeal of the model lies in its apparent simplicity, variables are too broadly de®ned and complex to easily translate research ®ndings into practical recommendations. To provide more practically useful evidence about risk factors, it is suggested that epidemiological studies should employ more clearly de®ned and speci®c variables incorporated in more complex psychosocial models which take into account the work context and the changing nature of work. # 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Writing expressively about distressing experiences has been found to have beneficial health effec... more Writing expressively about distressing experiences has been found to have beneficial health effects. This study examined the effects of written emotional disclosure (WED) interventions on the self-reported health and job satisfaction of school teachers, and compared standard WED instructions with two commonly used more prescriptive variants. The study also controlled and measured the between-condition comparability of participants' post-writing benefit expectations. Teachers (final N = 77) were randomized to a control writing condition or one of three WED conditions that varied the number and/or type of experiences participants wrote about. All teachers wrote for 20 min on three consecutive days at home. Psychological health, physical health, and job satisfaction were assessed at baseline, two weeks, two months, and six months post-intervention. Participants' expectations of benefit following writing were equivalent across conditions. There was no significant effect of any of the three WED interventions, compared to control writing, on psychological or physical health or job satisfaction. There was, however, a significant and sizeable improvement in physical health across writing conditions from baseline to twomonth follow-up, and this was maintained at six months. The findings show that control writing can produce comparable expectations of benefit to WED, and are consistent with the possibility that benefit expectancies can effect health improvements following disclosure or control writing. Most previous studies have examined WED with students or patient groups, and the findings also raise an important question about the feasibility of multi-session writing interventions for mid-life working samples. Further studies with occupational groups are warranted, as is further investigation into the role of positive expectancies in WED effects.
Using the theoretical context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study examined whether wor... more Using the theoretical context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study examined whether work has a disruptive influence on people's ability to carry out their daily intentions to exercise, and whether daily planning helps overcome this. A daily questionnaire was completed by 42 employees for 14 days.
Background: To investigate the association between the illness representations of recently diagno... more Background: To investigate the association between the illness representations of recently diagnosed stroke patients and their carers and distress in the months after stroke. Method: Forty-two stroke survivors and their carers were assessed at 3 months and 32 couples returned data at 6 months after stroke. Patients and carers completed the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised, Barthel Index, Significant Others Scale and General Health Questionnaire. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Results: Carers were more pessimistic than patients about the symptoms, timeline and consequences of the stroke. Patient distress was associated with both patient and carer illness representations at Time 1, and their own illness representations and discrepancy in the illness representations of patients and carers at Time 2. Carer distress was associated with their own illness representations at Time 1, but not the patient's illness representations. Discrepant illness representations were associated with higher carer distress at Time 1 but not Time 2. Conclusion: Illness representations of stroke patients and carers have implications for adjustment for both partners. It is important to understand couples' views of stroke, as discrepancy was as strongly associated with patient and carer distress as was physical disability.
Research examining the impact of work on health behaviours has rarely provided a complete picture... more Research examining the impact of work on health behaviours has rarely provided a complete picture of the impact across health behaviours. Twenty-four employees were interviewed about their smoking, drinking, exercise and eating. Themes included the impact of the work environment, including policy, convenience and workplace cultural norms; business events effecting one’s routine and again convenience and workplace
cultural norms; being busy at work effecting time and health behaviours being used as coping responses on health behaviours and is primarily detrimental.
Objective: This study investigated the daily hassles-eating behavior relationship and its moderat... more Objective: This study investigated the daily hassles-eating behavior relationship and its moderators in a naturalistic setting. Design: A multilevel diary design was used to examine day-to-day within-person effects of daily hassles on eating behavior (N ϭ 422), together with the individual and simultaneous influence of potential moderating variables. Main Outcome Measures: Daily diary reports of betweenmeal snacking, fruit and vegetable consumption and perceived variations in daily food intake. Results:
This study examined the effect of perceived need on exercise and healthy eating using the theory ... more This study examined the effect of perceived need on exercise and healthy eating using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). In addition, it investigated the determinants of perceived need. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring components of TPB and perceived need. A follow-up questionnaire 1 week later measured behaviour. The questionnaires were completed by e-mail. The initial questionnaire was completed by 331 adults, and 286 follow-up questionnaires were returned. Perceived behavioural control was the main predictor of exercise intention and affective attitude was the main predictor of healthy eating intention. Perceived need significantly contributed to the prediction of healthy eating intention but not to exercise intention. Intention and perceived behavioural control predicted actual behaviour but perceived need did not. Reasons reported for the perception of needing to engage in both behaviours mainly focused on physical health and weight control. Reasons reported for low perceived need suggest that the concept of perceived need may be rather ambiguous, particularly in the case of exercise. Therefore, further research is needed to elucidate the role of perceived need in relation to a variety of health behaviours.
Objectives. This study examined the impact of the job strain model on exercise and healthy eating... more Objectives. This study examined the impact of the job strain model on exercise and healthy eating within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour.
Design. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the job strain model. A follow-up questionnaire a week later measured behaviour.
Method. The questionnaires were completed by e-mail. The initial questionnaire was completed by 331 employees, and 286 follow-up questionnaires were returned.
Results. Job demands affected exercise indirectly by lowering perceptions of behavioural control over exercise. However, variables from the job strain model were not related to exercise intentions or behaviour. In contrast, employees in passive jobs intended to eat more sweets and snack foods and employees in low strain jobs were more likely to realize their intentions to eat more sweets and snack foods. However, variables from the job strain model did not influence consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Conclusions. While people may consider the impact of job strain on exercise whilst making decisions about whether or not to exercise, job strain has a more direct impact on healthy eating. However, job strain may only affect consumption of so-called ‘high density’ foods, rather than foods such as fruit and vegetables.
Background and Purpose This study investigated the impact of conscientiousness and its facets on ... more Background and Purpose This study investigated the impact of conscientiousness and its facets on health behaviors and daily hassles (stressors) and the moderating effects of conscientiousness on the hassles-health behavior relationship Methods Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries over 4 weeks. Day-to-day within-person effects of daily hassles on health behaviors were examined, together with the influence of conscientiousness. Results Using hierarchical multivariate linear modeling, the results showed that conscientiousness was associated with lower consumption of high-fat snacks and more fruit and higher caffeine intake and smoking (in smokers) across the 28-day study period. Facets of conscientiousness were also found to moderate the effects of daily hassles on vegetable consumption, smoking, and likelihood of exercising each day. Participants with higher levels of order exercised more on days when they experienced daily hassles, whereas participants with lower levels of self-efficacy consumed less vegetables on stressful days. Among smokers, those with higher levels of self-discipline reported smoking more on days when they encountered hassles. Conclusions These findings indicate that conscientiousness and its facets may influence health status directly via changes in health behaviors and indirectly through influencing stress-health behavior relations.
1. Allen A, Simpson JM. A primary care based falls-prevention programme. Physiother Theory Pract ... more 1. Allen A, Simpson JM. A primary care based falls-prevention programme. Physiother Theory Pract 1999; 15: 121-33. 2. Tinetti M. Prevention of falls and injuries in elderly persons; a research agenda. Prev Med 1994; 23: 756-62. 3. Salkeld ID, Cameron RG, Cumming RG et al. Quality of life related to fear of falling and hip fracture in older women: a time trade off study. Br Med J 2000; 320: 341-5. 4. Simpson JM, Darwin C, Marsh N. What are older people prepared to do to avoid falling? A qualitative study in London. Br J Commun Nurs 2003; 8: 133-41. by guest on October 14, 2011 ageing.oxfordjournals.org Downloaded from
The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and R. A. Karasek's (1979) job strain model were used to inv... more The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and R. A. Karasek's (1979) job strain model were used to investigate the predictors of exercise in a group of employees. A total of 241 employees completed an initial questionnaire; 1 week later 213 employees responded to a questionnaire measuring behavior. Employees in high-strain jobs did significantly less exercise than those in low-strain jobs, although they did not intend to do less, suggesting that work may impede the intention implementation. Intenders who failed to exercise had significantly higher work demands and lower exercise self-efficacy than intenders who succeeded in exercising. Work also affected exercise indirectly through self-efficacy. Thus, work may be a target for behavior change intervention because of its impact at 2 stages of the TPB.
Using the theoretical context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study examined whether wor... more Using the theoretical context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study examined whether work has a disruptive influence on people’s ability to carry out their daily intentions to exercise, and whether daily planning helps overcome this. A daily questionnaire was completed by 42 employees for 14 days. A brief daily planning intervention was administered to half of the employees. Multilevel modelling was used to analyse the data. The moderating effects of daily perceived behavioural control (PBC), job demands and work-related anxiety and depression on the relationship between intention to exercise and subsequent behaviour were investigated, as well as the impact of the intervention. Intention and PBC predicted exercise. Job demands appeared to disrupt people’s ability to carry out their daily exercise intentions. Contrary to expectation, people in the no intervention group were more likely to exercise. Furthermore, on low-demand days they were most successful in realising their exercise intentions (when they intended to exercise for longer), whereas people in the intervention group, on high-demand days were least successful in realising their exercise intentions. The intervention may have operated contrary to expectation by drawing attention to potential failure.
Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries measuring positive affect, negative... more Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries measuring positive affect, negative affect, work hours, and health behaviors (snacking, smoking, exercise, alcohol, caffeine consumption) on work days over a 4-week period. In addition, measures of job demands, job control, and social support (iso-strain variables) were completed on 1 occasion. Multilevel random coefficient modeling was used to examine relationships between the
Written emotional disclosure (WED) has beneficial effects on health outcomes. However, its effect... more Written emotional disclosure (WED) has beneficial effects on health outcomes. However, its effectiveness is influenced by a number of variables. This exploratory study tested whether trait rumination, which comprises brooding, a maladaptive component, and reflection, an adaptive component, moderated the effects of WED on ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in female participants.
Karesek's demand±control model has been extremely in¯uential and is widely used to predict a rang... more Karesek's demand±control model has been extremely in¯uential and is widely used to predict a range of health outcomes, yet there have been comparatively few intervention studies and relatively little evidence of its impact on the design of work to improve health. This article discusses the tension between meeting the need for a model of psychosocial work factors and health outcomes which is simple enough to be theoretically useful in multidisciplinary research over a wide range of occupations yet is speci®c enough to generate useful information to in¯uence policies and guide interventions. It is suggested that the success of the model in driving research has led to the neglect of a range of other psychosocial factors. Furthermore, while the appeal of the model lies in its apparent simplicity, variables are too broadly de®ned and complex to easily translate research ®ndings into practical recommendations. To provide more practically useful evidence about risk factors, it is suggested that epidemiological studies should employ more clearly de®ned and speci®c variables incorporated in more complex psychosocial models which take into account the work context and the changing nature of work. # 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Writing expressively about distressing experiences has been found to have beneficial health effec... more Writing expressively about distressing experiences has been found to have beneficial health effects. This study examined the effects of written emotional disclosure (WED) interventions on the self-reported health and job satisfaction of school teachers, and compared standard WED instructions with two commonly used more prescriptive variants. The study also controlled and measured the between-condition comparability of participants' post-writing benefit expectations. Teachers (final N = 77) were randomized to a control writing condition or one of three WED conditions that varied the number and/or type of experiences participants wrote about. All teachers wrote for 20 min on three consecutive days at home. Psychological health, physical health, and job satisfaction were assessed at baseline, two weeks, two months, and six months post-intervention. Participants' expectations of benefit following writing were equivalent across conditions. There was no significant effect of any of the three WED interventions, compared to control writing, on psychological or physical health or job satisfaction. There was, however, a significant and sizeable improvement in physical health across writing conditions from baseline to twomonth follow-up, and this was maintained at six months. The findings show that control writing can produce comparable expectations of benefit to WED, and are consistent with the possibility that benefit expectancies can effect health improvements following disclosure or control writing. Most previous studies have examined WED with students or patient groups, and the findings also raise an important question about the feasibility of multi-session writing interventions for mid-life working samples. Further studies with occupational groups are warranted, as is further investigation into the role of positive expectancies in WED effects.
Using the theoretical context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study examined whether wor... more Using the theoretical context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this study examined whether work has a disruptive influence on people's ability to carry out their daily intentions to exercise, and whether daily planning helps overcome this. A daily questionnaire was completed by 42 employees for 14 days.
Background: To investigate the association between the illness representations of recently diagno... more Background: To investigate the association between the illness representations of recently diagnosed stroke patients and their carers and distress in the months after stroke. Method: Forty-two stroke survivors and their carers were assessed at 3 months and 32 couples returned data at 6 months after stroke. Patients and carers completed the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised, Barthel Index, Significant Others Scale and General Health Questionnaire. Analyses were conducted using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Results: Carers were more pessimistic than patients about the symptoms, timeline and consequences of the stroke. Patient distress was associated with both patient and carer illness representations at Time 1, and their own illness representations and discrepancy in the illness representations of patients and carers at Time 2. Carer distress was associated with their own illness representations at Time 1, but not the patient's illness representations. Discrepant illness representations were associated with higher carer distress at Time 1 but not Time 2. Conclusion: Illness representations of stroke patients and carers have implications for adjustment for both partners. It is important to understand couples' views of stroke, as discrepancy was as strongly associated with patient and carer distress as was physical disability.
Research examining the impact of work on health behaviours has rarely provided a complete picture... more Research examining the impact of work on health behaviours has rarely provided a complete picture of the impact across health behaviours. Twenty-four employees were interviewed about their smoking, drinking, exercise and eating. Themes included the impact of the work environment, including policy, convenience and workplace cultural norms; business events effecting one’s routine and again convenience and workplace
cultural norms; being busy at work effecting time and health behaviours being used as coping responses on health behaviours and is primarily detrimental.
Objective: This study investigated the daily hassles-eating behavior relationship and its moderat... more Objective: This study investigated the daily hassles-eating behavior relationship and its moderators in a naturalistic setting. Design: A multilevel diary design was used to examine day-to-day within-person effects of daily hassles on eating behavior (N ϭ 422), together with the individual and simultaneous influence of potential moderating variables. Main Outcome Measures: Daily diary reports of betweenmeal snacking, fruit and vegetable consumption and perceived variations in daily food intake. Results:
This study examined the effect of perceived need on exercise and healthy eating using the theory ... more This study examined the effect of perceived need on exercise and healthy eating using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). In addition, it investigated the determinants of perceived need. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring components of TPB and perceived need. A follow-up questionnaire 1 week later measured behaviour. The questionnaires were completed by e-mail. The initial questionnaire was completed by 331 adults, and 286 follow-up questionnaires were returned. Perceived behavioural control was the main predictor of exercise intention and affective attitude was the main predictor of healthy eating intention. Perceived need significantly contributed to the prediction of healthy eating intention but not to exercise intention. Intention and perceived behavioural control predicted actual behaviour but perceived need did not. Reasons reported for the perception of needing to engage in both behaviours mainly focused on physical health and weight control. Reasons reported for low perceived need suggest that the concept of perceived need may be rather ambiguous, particularly in the case of exercise. Therefore, further research is needed to elucidate the role of perceived need in relation to a variety of health behaviours.
Objectives. This study examined the impact of the job strain model on exercise and healthy eating... more Objectives. This study examined the impact of the job strain model on exercise and healthy eating within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour.
Design. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the job strain model. A follow-up questionnaire a week later measured behaviour.
Method. The questionnaires were completed by e-mail. The initial questionnaire was completed by 331 employees, and 286 follow-up questionnaires were returned.
Results. Job demands affected exercise indirectly by lowering perceptions of behavioural control over exercise. However, variables from the job strain model were not related to exercise intentions or behaviour. In contrast, employees in passive jobs intended to eat more sweets and snack foods and employees in low strain jobs were more likely to realize their intentions to eat more sweets and snack foods. However, variables from the job strain model did not influence consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Conclusions. While people may consider the impact of job strain on exercise whilst making decisions about whether or not to exercise, job strain has a more direct impact on healthy eating. However, job strain may only affect consumption of so-called ‘high density’ foods, rather than foods such as fruit and vegetables.
Background and Purpose This study investigated the impact of conscientiousness and its facets on ... more Background and Purpose This study investigated the impact of conscientiousness and its facets on health behaviors and daily hassles (stressors) and the moderating effects of conscientiousness on the hassles-health behavior relationship Methods Four hundred and twenty-two employees completed daily diaries over 4 weeks. Day-to-day within-person effects of daily hassles on health behaviors were examined, together with the influence of conscientiousness. Results Using hierarchical multivariate linear modeling, the results showed that conscientiousness was associated with lower consumption of high-fat snacks and more fruit and higher caffeine intake and smoking (in smokers) across the 28-day study period. Facets of conscientiousness were also found to moderate the effects of daily hassles on vegetable consumption, smoking, and likelihood of exercising each day. Participants with higher levels of order exercised more on days when they experienced daily hassles, whereas participants with lower levels of self-efficacy consumed less vegetables on stressful days. Among smokers, those with higher levels of self-discipline reported smoking more on days when they encountered hassles. Conclusions These findings indicate that conscientiousness and its facets may influence health status directly via changes in health behaviors and indirectly through influencing stress-health behavior relations.
1. Allen A, Simpson JM. A primary care based falls-prevention programme. Physiother Theory Pract ... more 1. Allen A, Simpson JM. A primary care based falls-prevention programme. Physiother Theory Pract 1999; 15: 121-33. 2. Tinetti M. Prevention of falls and injuries in elderly persons; a research agenda. Prev Med 1994; 23: 756-62. 3. Salkeld ID, Cameron RG, Cumming RG et al. Quality of life related to fear of falling and hip fracture in older women: a time trade off study. Br Med J 2000; 320: 341-5. 4. Simpson JM, Darwin C, Marsh N. What are older people prepared to do to avoid falling? A qualitative study in London. Br J Commun Nurs 2003; 8: 133-41. by guest on October 14, 2011 ageing.oxfordjournals.org Downloaded from
The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and R. A. Karasek's (1979) job strain model were used to inv... more The theory of planned behavior (TPB) and R. A. Karasek's (1979) job strain model were used to investigate the predictors of exercise in a group of employees. A total of 241 employees completed an initial questionnaire; 1 week later 213 employees responded to a questionnaire measuring behavior. Employees in high-strain jobs did significantly less exercise than those in low-strain jobs, although they did not intend to do less, suggesting that work may impede the intention implementation. Intenders who failed to exercise had significantly higher work demands and lower exercise self-efficacy than intenders who succeeded in exercising. Work also affected exercise indirectly through self-efficacy. Thus, work may be a target for behavior change intervention because of its impact at 2 stages of the TPB.
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cultural norms; being busy at work effecting time and health behaviours being used as coping responses on health behaviours and is primarily detrimental.
Design. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the job strain model. A follow-up questionnaire a week later measured behaviour.
Method. The questionnaires were completed by e-mail. The initial questionnaire was completed by 331 employees, and 286 follow-up questionnaires were returned.
Results. Job demands affected exercise indirectly by lowering perceptions of behavioural control over exercise. However, variables from the job strain model were not related to exercise intentions or behaviour. In contrast, employees in passive jobs intended to eat more sweets and snack foods and employees in low strain jobs were more likely to realize their intentions to eat more sweets and snack foods. However, variables from the job strain model did not influence consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Conclusions. While people may consider the impact of job strain on exercise whilst making decisions about whether or not to exercise, job strain has a more direct impact on healthy eating. However, job strain may only affect consumption of so-called ‘high density’ foods, rather than foods such as fruit and vegetables.
cultural norms; being busy at work effecting time and health behaviours being used as coping responses on health behaviours and is primarily detrimental.
Design. Participants completed a questionnaire measuring the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the job strain model. A follow-up questionnaire a week later measured behaviour.
Method. The questionnaires were completed by e-mail. The initial questionnaire was completed by 331 employees, and 286 follow-up questionnaires were returned.
Results. Job demands affected exercise indirectly by lowering perceptions of behavioural control over exercise. However, variables from the job strain model were not related to exercise intentions or behaviour. In contrast, employees in passive jobs intended to eat more sweets and snack foods and employees in low strain jobs were more likely to realize their intentions to eat more sweets and snack foods. However, variables from the job strain model did not influence consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Conclusions. While people may consider the impact of job strain on exercise whilst making decisions about whether or not to exercise, job strain has a more direct impact on healthy eating. However, job strain may only affect consumption of so-called ‘high density’ foods, rather than foods such as fruit and vegetables.