Abstract
BackgroundCurrent research advocates lifestyle factors to manage workers’ health issues, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type II diabetes mellitus, among other things (World Health Organization (WHO) Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic, 2000; World Health Organization (WHO) Obesity and overweight, 2016), though little is known about employees’ lifestyle factors in high-stress, high turnover environments, such as in the long term care (LTC) sector.MethodsDrawing on qualitative single-case study in Ontario, Canada, this paper investigates an under-researched area consisting of the health practices of health care workers from high-stress, high turnover environments. In particular, it identifies LTC worker’s mechanisms for maintaining physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.ResultsThe findings suggest that while particular mechanisms were prevalent, such as through diet and exercise, they were often conducted in group settings or tied to emotional health, suggesting important social and mental health contexts to these behaviors. Furthermore, there were financial barriers that prevented workers from participating in these activities and achieving health benefits, suggesting that structurally, social determinants of health (SDoH), such as income and income distribution, are contextually important.ConclusionsAccordingly, given that workplace health promotion and protection must be addressed at the individual, organizational, and structural levels, this study advocates integrated, total worker health (TWH) initiatives that consider social determinants of health approaches, recognizing the wider socio-economic impacts of workers’ health and wellbeing.
Highlights
Current research advocates lifestyle factors to manage workers’ health issues, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type II diabetes mellitus, among other things (World Health Organization (WHO) Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic, 2000; World Health Organization (WHO) Obesity and overweight, 2016), though little is known about employees’ lifestyle factors in high-stress, high turnover environments, such as in the long term care (LTC) sector
What is already known about this subject? Current research advocates lifestyle factors to manage health issues of workers, such as managing obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type II diabetes mellitus, among other things [50, 51], though little is known about employees’ lifestyle factors in high-stress, high turnover environments, such as in the long term care (LTC) sector
What are the new findings? The findings suggest that LTC workers typically maintained health and wellbeing through self-care measures conducted in group settings or tied to proxies of relaxation and emotional health, a few indicated that finances were barriers to practicing healthy behaviors
Summary
Current research advocates lifestyle factors to manage workers’ health issues, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type II diabetes mellitus, among other things (World Health Organization (WHO) Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic, 2000; World Health Organization (WHO) Obesity and overweight, 2016), though little is known about employees’ lifestyle factors in high-stress, high turnover environments, such as in the long term care (LTC) sector. A broad set of public health interventions have been advocated in the occupational health literature. These are generally accepted principles and practices that often include interventions that focus on prevention of accidents and occupational diseases, and health promotion activities such as enabling workers to become more skilled to improve their lifestyles, quality of diets, sleep, and physical fitness [23]. Occupational stress, as measured by the psychological injury risk indicator (PIRI), is associated with metabolic syndrome components such as hypertriglyceridemia and high blood pressure [22]. Sleep hygiene is important for workers’ health, safety, well-being, and productivity [24] It is beneficial for emotional health, and it may reduce cardiovascular risk from metabolic syndrome [24]. Sleep problems are associated with: an increase in the incident cases of metabolic syndrome in high-stress occupational groups, such as police officers, in a prospective 5-year study [17], as well as workplace violence [24]
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