Influence Of Significant Others Research Articles

Assessing significant others’ cognitions and behavioral responses in occupational health care for workers with a chronic disease

Purpose To examine current practices of occupational health professionals in assessing significant others’ cognitions and behavioral responses that may influence work outcomes of workers with a chronic disease. Methods A survey study among occupational health professionals, focusing on the assessment of illness perceptions, work-related beliefs and expectations, and behavioral responses of significant others of workers with a chronic disease. We performed linear regression analyses to investigate which factors are related to occupational health professionals’ assessment practices. We used thematic analysis to analyze qualitative data on occupational health professionals’ reasons to assess or overlook significant others’ cognitions and behavioral responses. Results Our study sample included 192 occupational health professionals. Most seldom asked about significant others’ cognitions and behavioral responses. Organizational norms and occupational health professionals’ self-efficacy were related to reported assessment practices. Reasons to assess significant others’ cognitions and behavioral responses included recognizing their influence on work participation, and occurrence of stagnation. However, occupational health professionals indicated some doubt whether such assessment would always contribute to better care. Conclusions It is not common practice for occupational health professionals to assess significant others’ cognitions and behavioral responses, although they recognize the influence of these factors on work outcomes. More research is needed as to how occupational health professionals can best address the role of significant others, and apply these new insights in their daily practice. Implications for rehabilitation Most occupational health professionals do not commonly ask about significant others’ cognitions and behavioral responses despite the possible influence of these factors on work outcomes. Occupational health professionals may be able to better support workers with a chronic disease by paying more attention to the influence of significant others. Aside from asking about practical support, occupational health professionals should consider asking about significant others’ illness perceptions, work-related beliefs and expectations, and other behavioral responses.

Determinants of the Intention to Use Performance-Enhancing Substances Among Portuguese Gym Users.

The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of the intentions to use prohibited performance-enhancing substances (PES) and to test the Theory of Planned Behavior’s usefulness in predicting self-reported PES use in both genders. A convenience sample of Portuguese gym users (n = 453) completed an anonymous web-based survey. Structural equation modeling, multigroup analysis, and t-test with the Welch correction for heterokedastic variances were used. At the structural level, results support attitudes, beliefs, and subjective norms in predicting intentions to PES use in gym users, with subjective norms being its strongest predictor. Moreover, results showed a significant association between self-reported PES use and intentions to use. The predictive model was invariant across genders; however, compared to males, females believed less in the performance-enhancing effects of PES, were less prone to the influence of significant others, and had weaker intentions to use these substances. Psychological strategies should be based on subjective norms, alongside beliefs and attitudes, toward PES use as these variables influence the intention to use PES in this particular population.

Attitude of athletes towards doping: A dilemma in Pakistan.

Objectives:To evaluate the attitude and of athletes towards performance enhancement through doping and leading reason of their decision for the use of doping in a country.Methods:This Cross-Sectional descriptive study was conducted with non-probability convenience sampling over a period of six months from November 2018 to May 2019. This study included n=377 National and international athletes/players, of both genders aged 17-35 years, camping for preparation of 13th South Asian Games 2019 at Pakistan Sports Board, Jinnah Complex Islamabad, Pakistan. The athletes/ players with any disease, trauma or working as coaches or officials were excluded. Basic demographic sheet and Athletes Attitude to Doping Questionnaire were used for data collection which was analyzed using SPSS 21.Results:Study revealed significant difference in the Mean and Median scores of the six anti-doping factors with very low scores for “Long Term Health Implications” (Mean= 2.14, Md=2) and “Psychosocial Influences” (Mean=3, Md=3) compared to a high score for the remaining factors, indicating that the participants did not agree these two factors influenced their decision for not doping. Also, there was significant difference in the scores as revealed by Wilcoxon signed test, between Personal Ethical Standards and the remaining factors except Illegality of Substances (z=-1.705, p=0.088). Gender association was noted for anti-doping education and testing, with higher scores in males (p=0.031). Also Type of Main Sport had association with most factors except Long Term Health Implications while Level of Sport did not show any association except for Influence of Significant Others.Conclusion:Study concludes that Illegality of Substances and Personal ethical standards are the most significant factor for athletes’ decision for not doping.

Why do Indonesian Muslims donate through mosques?

PurposeThis study aims to determine the factors that influence the decisions of Muslims in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country and recently acknowledged as the world’s most generous country (CAF, 2017), to donate money through mosques.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the extended theory of planned behaviour to determine the above-mentioned factors. Primary data were obtained via a survey that generated 235 responses from respondents in Depok City, Indonesia. The primary data were analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling.FindingsThe findings suggest that stronger religious beliefs, a greater trust in mosques, ease of making donations, the influence of significant others and good past experiences of donating to mosques influence donations to mosques in Depok. Thus, most of the hypotheses tested are accepted. However, the relationships between attitude and intention and moral norms and intention are found to be insignificant, which the authors presume to be related to the collective culture of Muslims in Indonesia.Practical implicationsThe managements of mosques need to build, maintain and increase the trust of their congregations in the institution. They also need to improve the services they provide to their congregations and endorse charitable activities through influential persons such asulamaand celebrities. Together with the other stakeholders, such as the government and Muslim communities, they should also improve access to donate and increase the impacts of the donations.Originality/valueThis study offers fresh and current insights into voluntary giving behaviour to a specific religious institution/channel in the world’s largest Muslim country, which has also recently been acknowledged as the world’s most generous country.

Investigating factors that affect the intention to use shared parking: A case study of Taipei City

Shared parking has recently emerged as an effective means of parking management in urban areas. The success of implementing shared parking necessitates understanding the factors which affect people’s intention to use shared parking. In this study, we used the Combined Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior (C-TAM-TPB) as a theoretical framework to investigate the intention to use shared parking from the perspective of parking space suppliers and parking space demanders (drivers). Hypothesis testing using the partial least-square (PLS) method of structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed using an empirical assessment of the shared parking schemes in Taipei City. Our results indicate that perceived control and self-efficacy pertaining to participation in shared parking were the most influential factors for parking space demanders, whereas the influence of significant others was the most influential factor for parking suppliers. We also found that the attitude of potential users toward shared parking can strongly affect their intention to participate, whether as a demander or a supplier. Our findings could help to identify the intrinsic factors affecting one’s intention to participate in shared parking schemes. Our findings could also help government agencies and system operators to promote the notion of shared parking to the public.

Student-teachers’ commitment to teaching and intentions to enter the teaching profession in Tanzania

Commitment to teaching is a recurring topic in both research and policy discussions on teaching and the teaching profession. We investigated factors explaining differences in student-teachers’ commitment to the teaching profession and to student learning, and their intentions to enter the teaching profession. Student-teachers ( n = 3,246) from one University College in Tanzania completed a Commitment-to-Teaching questionnaire. Bandura’s Social-Cognitive Theory was used to explain the findings. Differences in student-teachers’ commitment were explained by personal characteristics (i.e., student-teachers’ sense of self-efficacy), environmental factors (i.e., perceived influence of significant others and school conditions), and learning experiences (i.e., student-teachers’ attitudes towards the teaching profession, their teaching subjects, and satisfaction with the teacher education programme). Implications for practice and for research on student-teachers’ commitment to teaching are discussed. Keywords: commitment to teaching; intentions to enter teaching; student-teachers

Stop smoking practitioner consensus on barriers and facilitators to smoking cessation in pregnancy and how to address these: A modified Delphi survey

IntroductionPregnant women can experience barriers and facilitators towards achieving smoking cessation. We sought consensus from smoking cessation practitioners on how influential pre-identified barriers and facilitators can be on pregnant women's smoking behaviour, and how difficult these might be to manage. Suggestions for techniques that could help overcome the barriers or enhance the facilitators were elicited and consensus sought on the appropriateness for their use in practice. MethodsForty-four practitioners who provided cessation support to pregnant women completed a three-round modified Delphi survey. Round one sought consensus on the ‘influence’ and ‘difficulty’ of the barriers and facilitators, and gathered respondents' suggestions on ways to address these. Rounds two and three sought further consensus on the barriers and facilitators and on ‘appropriateness’ of the respondent-suggested techniques. The techniques were coded for behaviour change techniques (BCTs) content using existing taxonomies. ResultsBarriers and facilitators considered to be the most important mainly related to the influence of significant others and the women's motivation & self-efficacy. Having a supportive partner was considered the most influential, whereas lack of support from partner was the only barrier that reached consensus as being difficult to manage. Barriers relating to social norms were also considered influential, however these received poor coverage of respondent-suggested techniques. Those considered the easiest to address mainly related to aspects of cessation support, including misconceptions surrounding the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Barriers and facilitators relating to the women's motivation & self-efficacy, such as the want to protect the baby, were also considered as being particularly easy to address. Fifty of the 54 respondent-suggested techniques reached consensus as being appropriate. Those considered the most appropriate ranged from providing support early, giving correct information on NRT, highlighting risks and benefits and reinforcing motivating beliefs. Thirty-three BCTs were identified from the respondent-suggested techniques. ‘Social support (unspecified)’, ‘Tailor interactions appropriately’ and ‘Problem solving’ were the most frequently coded BCTs. ConclusionsInvolving partners in quit attempts was advocated. Existing support could be potentially improved by establishing appropriate ways to address barriers relating to pregnant smokers' ‘social norms’. In general, providing consistent and motivating support seemed favourable.

Influence of significant others on work participation of individuals with chronic diseases: a systematic review

ObjectiveIt is widely recognised that significant others (SOs), such as a partner, family member or friend, can influence health outcomes of individuals with a chronic disease. However, not much is...

Toward a better assessment of perceived social influence: The relative role of significant others on young athletes.

The purpose of this three-study paper was to develop and validate the Perceived Social Influence in Sport Scale-2 (PSISS-2) that aimed to resolve the limitations of PSISS-1 in assessing the relative social influence of significant others in youth sport. In Study 1, a pool of 60 items generated from revisiting a qualitative dataset about significant others of young athletes were examined by two expert panel reviews in terms of content validity, clarity, coverage, and age-appropriateness, leading to the development of 16 items of the PSISS-2. In Study 2, multi-group exploratory structural equation model for PSISS-2 was conducted among 904 young athletes, and the results supported a model comprising positive influence (ie, conditional and unconditional positive influence combined), punishment (ie, conditional negative influence), and dysfunction (ie, unconditional negative influence) as three factors. The goodness of fit of the three-factor model was acceptable and invariant across the coach-, father-, mother-, and teammates-versions of PSISS-2. In support of the criterion validity of PSISS-2, the three factors explained substantial variance of young athletes' perceived competence, effort, enjoyment, and trait anxiety in sport. Study 3 examined the relationship between PSISS-2 factors, psychological need support, and controlling behaviors in a subsample of 452 young athletes, and the findings supported the concurrent validity and discriminant validity of the scale. In conclusion, the data are supportive of PSISS-2. The three factors of the scale (ie, positive influence, punishment, and dysfunction) may form a new framework for understanding and comparing the relative role of significant others in youth sport.

Challenges and Resources in CPD for In-Service Teachers: Establishing Communities of Inquiry

As teachers are reflective pedagogical thinkers, in-service continuing professional development (CPD) is imperative. Previous studies reveal that insufficient school support and teacher’s incapacity to reflect on their practices recurrently hamper CPD. However, biographical inquiries, encompassing critical events, in-service challenges, and resources employed in CPD, are scant. This study investigated (a) incidents embodying pivotal moments in career choice, (b) ensuing professional challenges, and (c) the resources for CPD at teachers’ disposal. We conducted an in-depth analysis of fifteen Indonesian teachers at novice, mid-career, and senior professional stages. Data from reflective essays and semi-structured interviews disclosed that motivation to teach stems from past experiences indicating intrinsic satisfaction, the influence of significant others, pragmatic concerns, and idealism. Resulting from perennial challenges, including classroom management, lesson planning, and task design, teachers appeared to have benefited most from pre-service teacher training, specifically within the purview of ICT (Information and Communications Technology). A notable finding is that teachers independently sought websites and social media to form professional learning communities, one of which was instigated through the IMOOC (Indonesian Massive Open Online Course). Due to the pervasiveness of technology, this study concludes with recommendations for a conflated model of ICT in CPD to establish communities of inquiry.

Insights into the nature of female sexuality from the perspective of female stroke survivors

Aim: The purpose of this study was to provide insights into the nature of female sexuality from the perspective of one group of women following a stroke.Method: Nine female stroke survivors from metropolitan and surrounding districts of Sydney, Australia participated in face to face semi-structured interviews about sexuality after stroke. The age of stroke survivors ranged from 31 to 70 years. The majority of females identified as heterosexual (n = 8). Length of time between stroke and interview ranged from 1 year, 2 months to 15 years, 9 months. The interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. Braun and Clarke’s 6 steps of thematic analysis were used to answer the question: what is the nature of female sexuality?Results: The women in this study saw themselves as sexual beings and communicated a tacit knowledge of the nature of female sexuality. Female sexuality was described as having two distinct, but related aspects, that captured “the being” and “the doing” of female sexuality. These encompassed a woman’s way of being female and expressions of that way of being through engagement in specific activities.Conclusions: The findings of this study underline the importance of addressing sexuality as part of rehabilitation and provide some guidance about what might be important to address.Implications for RehabilitationSexuality should be addressed by clinicians as part of person-centred rehabilitation.Understanding “the being” and “the doing” of female sexuality is a pre-requisite for understanding female sexuality post-stroke.Idealised constructions of being female formulated pre-stroke may continue to be points of reference for self-assessment post-stroke, hence need to be understood when seeking to support a positive sense of self.The influence of significant others on the self-esteem of females may be important to consider for some individuals post-stroke.

Barriers to the use of facility-based birthing services in rural northern Ghana: A qualitative study

Background: Use of facility-based birthing can reduce maternal mortality rates; however, service uptake is still poor in rural Ghana. Aims: To analyse key stakeholders' views on barriers to facility-based birthing in the Bongo district of rural northern Ghana. Methods: The study used a qualitative design. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 45 women from three communities for the study, plus four health professionals and two policy-makers. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Findings: This study revealed major barriers to the use of facility-based birthing services, including an inability to pay for transport and items for childbirth, poor quality of services, impolite staff, long distance, and the influence of significant others. Health professionals and policy-makers identified staff/facility inadequacy and general logistic constraints as major barriers. Conclusions: Women should be empowered through education campaigns, a review of the health insurance scheme and realignment of the facility protocols.

Nutritional and physical exercise programs for older people: program format preferences and (dis)incentives to participate.

PurposeA growing number of studies in older people have been examining the beneficial effects of non-pharmacological interventions, such as physical exercise (PE) and nutritional supplementation, to target age-related syndromes such as sarcopenia and frailty. This study evaluated interpersonal, intrapersonal, and community (dis)incentives, concepts of motivation, and preferred program formats toward a PE or nutritional program in older people, with or without frailty or risk of sarcopenia.MethodsA questionnaire was developed and filled in by 115 community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years of age) after content (n=7 experts) and face validation (n=8 older adults). We assessed 1) the agreement with a statement (a statement with which ≥70% of the participants agree or strongly agree is considered as a common statement), 2) concepts of motivation by an exploratory factor analysis, and 3) program preferences by nonparametric Wilcoxon or Friedman’s analysis of variance and post hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.ResultsIntrapersonal motivators (eg, health benefits) were the most common motivators to participate in a PE or nutritional program. Identified concepts to participate in a PE intervention were intrinsic health beliefs, fear of falling or injuries, influence of significant others and environment, and (para)medical encouragement (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.75; 72% variance explained). Intrinsic health beliefs, influence of significant others and (para)medical encouragement were identified as concepts that motivate older people to participate in a nutritional intervention (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.77; 78% variance explained). No favorability of exercise location was identified; however, older people preferred protein supplement intake in a tablet form compared to liquid or powder form and in a pulsed timing compared with a spread intake.ConclusionProgram preferences of older people toward nutritional interventions need to be taken into account in future clinical trials and implementation programs, to increase recruitment and adherence to interventions.

Examining the determinants of utility bicycling using a socio-ecological framework: An exploratory study of the Tamale Metropolis in Northern Ghana

This paper examines the determinants of utility bicycling through a cross-sectional study in Tamale, a metropolis with a long history of an embedded cycling culture in Ghana, West Africa. Using a socio-ecological framework, we model the extent to which individual-level characteristics, social environment factors and perceptions of physical environment factors at the neighbourhood and metropolitan scales influence choice of the bicycle as the main transport mode. An exploratory factor analysis distilled the indicators of the latent constructs of the socio-ecological framework into factors, which reflect physical environment challenges and opportunities perceived at the neighbourhood and metropolitan scales; influence of significant others; perceived status symbol of the bike; and perceived commuting benefits of bicycling. A binary logistic regression analysis of the determinants of utility cycling shows that while overall, bicycle ownership is an important determinant of cycling, between the genders, males are more likely to bicycle than females. Also, cyclists are more likely to be non-tertiary educated individuals. Whereas ‘perceived neighbourhood-scale challenges’ decrease the odds of cycling, ‘perceived neighbourhood-scale opportunities’, which reflect the availability of bicycle lanes, alternative roads and traffic control measures increase the likelihood of cycling among the study respondents. An interaction term between neighbourhood-scale physical environment opportunities and challenges, however, correlates negatively with cycling, suggesting that overall the metropolitan physical environment is not ideal for cycling. The study points to a huge potential for cycling in the metropolis and provides an empirical basis for interventions needed to remove barriers to bicycle commuting.

Influence of Significant Others on High School Students’ Expectancies of Success and Task Value in Physical Education

This study examined the perceived influence of significant others’ beliefs on students’ expectancies of success and task value in physical education (PE). PE students (N = 231) between Grades 9 and 12 participated. Multiple regressions examined the influence of perceived parents’, teachers’, and classmates’ beliefs on students’ ability expectations and task value. Findings revealed that perceptions of parents’, teachers’, and classmates’ beliefs concerning ability expectations and attainment value were positive predictors of students’ own beliefs and attainment value for PE. Perceptions of parents’ and classmates’ utility value were significant in predicting students’ utility value for PE. Higher ability expectancies, attainment value, and utility value were related to lower intrinsic motivation. Higher attainment value predicted lower extrinsic motivation, and higher utility value predicted lower social motivation. In conclusion, perceptions of parents’, teachers’, and classmates’ ability expectancies, attainment value, and utility value positively predicted students’ ability expectancies, attainment value, and utility value.Subscribe to TPE

Factors Related to Weight Gain/Loss among Emerging Adults with Obesity.

We examined the reasons for weight gain and barriers to weight loss among emerging adults with obesity. Eighty-one female undergraduate students with obesity completed 4-open ended questions in 2015-2016. Qualitative responses were analyzed using NVivo 11 Pro software. Most participants experienced weight gain prior to attending college. The most commonly reported reasons for weight gain include a lack of ability to control one's behaviors or overcome barriers (ie, poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, lack of time, easy access to food), emotional/mental health issues, physical health, and influence of significant others. Nearly half reported having a weight loss goal. Most reported having used one or more weight loss methods. Few reached short-term weight loss but quickly regained the lost weight. Major reported barriers reflect a lack of self-regulation skills, negative mood and stress, and lack of self-efficacy for healthy eating or physical activity. Results suggest that the perceived ability to control one's behaviors and overcome barriers, self-efficacy, and mood are important in weight-related behaviors, weight, and weight loss success among emerging adults, especially those enrolled in college.

A Cross-cultural Study of Biological, Psychological, and Social Antecedents of Self-objectification in Italy and Romania

Although there is extensive documentation of the damaging psychological consequences of self-objectification, more research is needed to explain its antecedents. With the present study we (a) investigated the correlates of self-objectification by analyzing biological (age and body-mass index), psychological (self-esteem), and sociocultural dimensions (influence of mass media and significant others) in women and men; (b) examined the role of culture in self-objectification processes; and (c) tested the effect of gender as a moderator in the relationship between both psychological and sociocultural dimensions and self-objectification. A total of 770 heterosexual adults residing in Italy and Romania completed a self-reported questionnaire. Self-objectification was operationalized as Body Surveillance (BS) and Body Shame (BSH); however, because the the BS subscale was not satisfactorily reliable, our focus was restricted to BSH. The correlates of self-objectification for BSH were analyzed separately by nationality in regression models. Overall, BSH emerged as a process influenced by agents rooted in biological and psychological domains, as well as in social and cultural domains. High educational level and high self-esteem (this last particularly in men) correlated with reduced body shame for the Romanian sample, whereas within the Italian sample, the internalization of media standards and influence of significant others emerged as risk factors for body shame. Taken together, these findings underline the need to identify cross-cultural constants of self-objectification, as well as differences across contexts, in order to better understand self-objectification and to promote protective factors in specific culturally situated interventions.

‘I am treated well if I adhere to my HIV medication’: putting patient–provider interactions in context through insights from qualitative research in five sub-Saharan African countries

ObjectivesThe nature of patient–provider interactions and communication is widely documented to significantly impact on patient experiences, treatment adherence and health outcomes. Yet little is known about the broader contextual factors...

Consumers’ switching motivations and intention in the case of bank mergers: a cross-cultural study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze consumer switching behavior, which in the retail banking sector is of outmost importance, particularly during financial crises and in their ensuing consolidation pressures. Moreover, research indicates that cultural values play a critical role in determining a customer’s likelihood to switch the service provider. The theory of planned behavior offers a comprehensive theoretical framework for an understanding of this behavior. Its application implies that switching is influenced not only by one’s attitudes toward changing banking service providers, but also by the merger situation at hand, the influence of significant others, and whether the switching decision is under one’s behavioral control.Design/methodology/approachThis paper scrutinizes the merger between Lloyds TSB and Halifax Bank of Scotland in the Spanish market, with a focus on the differences between British and Spanish consumers. In all, 30 face-to-face exploratory interviews were conducted with a sample of customers from both nationalities selected through a purposive sampling technique.FindingsThe results indicate that the switching behavior within the banking sector is largely determined by one’s cultural background. While individualistic consumers are more prone to switch banks, collectivist consumers are highly risk averse and are unwilling to lose the established relations with a bank’s personnel. These particular characteristics make them unlikely to switch banks irrespective of a merger and its related consequences.Originality/valueThis paper examines the impact of cross-cultural differences on consumer switching motivations and intentions in the particular case of a real-life banks’ merger.

Examination of the relationship between social support and treatment outcomes in mothers referred by Child Protective Services utilizing the Significant Other Support Scale

ABSTRACTSupportive social networks may play an important role in recovery for mothers within the umbrella of Child Protective Services (CPS). However, investigators have yet to develop methods of measuring how significant others contribute to the treatment and recovery process. In this study, the influence of significant others was examined in the family-based treatment of 38 mothers who were referred for Family Behavior Therapy by CPS. The Significant Other Support Scale (SOSS) was empirically developed and subsequently utilized to assess the extent to which participants’ significant others were perceived by treatment providers to support the participants’ goals during treatment sessions. Results indicated that SOSS scores (but not participant and significant other session attendance) were associated with lower participant child abuse potential and drug use frequency at the conclusion of treatment. There was no relationship found between SOSS scores and participant session attendance. However, there was a positive correlation between SOSS scores and significant other session attendance (r = .489, p < .01). The results of this study suggest the quality of significant other support during treatment sessions in this population of mothers may be more important to improving treatment outcomes than session attendance per se. Future directions are discussed in light of the results, including methods of using SOSS scores to assist family-based treatments.