Stressful Working Conditions Research Articles

Stressful work conditions, positive affect, and physical health of middle-aged couples: A dyadic analysis.

This study investigated actor and partner effects involving middle-aged husbands' and wives' stressful work conditions (SWCs), positive affect (PA), and health outcomes in a dyadic trajectory context in three steps. First, examination of husbands' and wives' individual trajectories showed significant interindividual variations in SWCs and PA over time. Second, a dyadic growth curve model incorporating both husbands' and wives' growth curves of SWCs and PA showed that husbands' and wives' trajectories of SWCs over their early middle years (1991-1994) were negatively associated with their own parallel trajectories of PA independent of depressive symptoms trajectories. Finally, most of the growth factors of PA trajectories of husbands and wives (1991-1994) predicted their own residual changes in physical illness and overall physical health in 2001. In dyadic models, although contemporaneous correlations between most of the study constructs between husbands and wives were significant, all partner effects involving growth parameters of SWCs, PA, and health outcomes were not significant. Most of the indirect effects from SWCs growth factors to health outcomes through PA were significant. The findings suggested that PA was an important health resource for middle-aged husbands and wives that mediates the influence of one's SWCs on own physical health outcomes.

Root-cause analysis of bacteraemia increase and surveillance data in hemodialysis

ObjectiveTo investigate the bacteraemia increase in haemodialysis sector based on data from specific dialysis nosocomial infections national network surveillance (DIALIN) and through an Association of Litigation and Risk Management protocol (ALARM).IntroductionIn 2017, the dialysis centre of East Reunion Hospital Group (ERHG) based in Saint-Benoit highlighted an increase in bacteraemia’s rates. It was a significant rising compared to previous years. Indeed, ERHG is participating since 2013 to the France haemodialysis infections network surveillance (DIALIN)[1], created in 2005 and that is allowing assessing bacteraemia. DIALIN is a multicentre prospective permanent survey that has followed six voluntary centres in 2005 and forty-two in 2016. Objectives of this network are firstly to produce data about acquired infections in haemodialysis sector such as infection incidence rate and standardized ratios allowing centres to compare themselves and, secondly, to improve the quality of care .The current study describe how a root cause analysis has been conducted through the ALARM risk assessment methodology to set up action plans and to reduce the phenomenon[2][3]MethodsFive years (2013-2017) of ERHG haemodialysis data were obtained from the haemodialysis infections national network surveillance (DIALIN).To investigate and to analyse clinical incidents, the French National Authority for Health (HAS)[2] recommends the use of an Association of Litigation And Risk Management (ALARM) protocol. It is a powerful method for the investigation and analysis of serious incidents by risks managers [4]. Well established in industries sectors, the ALARM method of investigation is well introduced in French healthcare system since the last ten years. It was used to provide root cause analysis of this phenomenon.Individual’s risk factors of each patients (endogenous factors) have been analysed but these risks were identical every year. Thus, we focused on elements different in 2017 from previous years (exogenous factors). We practised audits about hand hygiene, standard precautions, catheter connection and disconnection practices.Our investigations covered several domains of risks or contributary factors such as patient, professional workers, teams, clinical practices protocols, technical and organisational context, care management and Hospital regional health policy.ResultsData from DIALIN pointed out that the ERHG bacteraemia’s rate was similar or lower to the national network until 2016 (n= 0 in 2016 or 1 in 2015 bacteraemia per year only in catheter's access vascular). No infections nor bacteraemia on fistula were noted as showned on figure 1 and figure 2.In 2016, there were 68 haemodialysis chronic patients, 8996 dialysis sessions and incidence of all infections was 0.11 over 1000 sessions.In 2017, there were 84 haemodialysis chronic patients,10377 dialysis sessions and incidence of all infections is 0.77 over 1000 sessions. Bacteraemia’s rate was higher than national network and ERHG previous years.The analysis of potential causes by ALARM method gave us different explanations. First of all, an increase of dialysis sessions and patients number could explain the increase. Then, this method allowed us to highlight a lower hand hygiene indicator for the service and an equipment issue. A batch of extra-corporal-circuit line was defective and a national withdrawal of any batch was initiated thanks to the ERHG. Secondary, the human factors like recruitment of new members with non-compliance of internal processes, management and human resources issues, under stress work conditions, bad working atmosphere, communication issues between haemodialysis professional workers, contributed to the bacteraemia increase. The investigations had also highlighted a misuse of antiseptic serving to catheter 's connection and disconnection process. Some nurses did not respect the activity time of antiseptic and others nurses splashed the antiseptic instead of cleaned with a sterile wipe.Responses have been taken to stop this issue including the cooperation of healthcare team with the support of hygiene expert team. Nevertheless, because of the multiplicity of risk factors and identified roots causes, the phenomenon has not been stop promptly. Despite a slowdown, the phenomenon persists in 2018. Actions have been decided to standardize practices, to work in pairs, and to improve hand hygiene. News equipments and an other antiseptic following national guidelines ( alcoholic chlorhexidin 2%) were chosen by a multidisciplinary team.ConclusionsBacteraemia for dialysis patients might evolve towards serious complications as endocarditis or death in worth cases. During this period, no deaths nor endocarditis linked to bacteraemia have been revealed. The use of a risk management protocol derived from the industry allowed finding roots causes and set up actions plans to solve the phenomenon. ERHG participation to the DIALIN surveillance is continuing.

Antecedents and Consequences of Work-Family Conflict in Qatar

Purpose This paper examines the effect of causal factors, such as work-life harmony, work- family conflict, co-worker and supervisor support, as well as spouse support, on workload and job stress and employee psychological ill-being (depression/anxiety). Design/methodology/approach A large convenience sample of 807 families from Qatar was surveyed. Using SPSS, the researchers used factor analysis to establish construct validity, based on two suitability tests: the Kaisers-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and the Bartless test of sphericity. The dimensions were found to be reliable and valid. Findings Findings from regression analysis show that five independent variables, as well as gender, are significant in predicting staff members’ perceived employee psychological ill-being in Qatar. In addition, results of the recursive model reveal that work-life harmony, supervisor’s and spouse’s support lead to less perceived employee psychological ill-being. However, workload, job stress and work-family conflict lead to more perceived employee psychological ill-being in Qatar. Practical implications Findings of this investigation provide strategic insights and practical thinking that have important implications for understanding and overcoming employee psychological ill-being. What’s more, this paper contributes to the limited knowledge about the effects of stressful working conditions in combination with low levels of spouse support and co-worker and supervisor support on work-life conflict and higher levels of depression and anxiety. Originality This article empirically correlates three fields of management research: Managerial Psychology, Employee Well-Being and Work-Life Balance.

A new generation of soil-geosynthetic interaction experimentation

A new device was developed to comprehensively assess the interaction between soil and reinforcement as well as the interaction between neighboring reinforcement layers in a reinforced soil mass, under both working and ultimate interface shear stress conditions. An understanding of these two interactions is required to assess the mechanical behavior of a geosynthetic-reinforced soil mass considering varying vertical reinforcement spacings. Specifically, the new device allows direct visualization of the kinematic response of soil particles adjacent to the geosynthetic reinforcement layers, which facilitates evaluation of the soil displacement field via digital image analysis. Evaluation of the soil displacement field allows quantification of the extent of the shear influence zone around a tensioned reinforcement layer. Ultimately, the device facilitates investigating the load transfer mechanisms that occur not only at the soil-reinforcement interface, but also at distances farther from the interface, thereby providing additional insight into the effect of vertical reinforcement spacing on a reinforced soil mass. Finally, the device allows monitoring of dilatancy within the reinforced soil mass upon shear stress generation at the interface between soil and reinforcement. Overall, the device was found to provide the measurements needed to adequately predict the strains developing both in reinforcement layers tensioned by direct application of external loads as well as in reinforcement layers tensioned by the shear transfer induced by adjacent geosynthetic reinforcements. Ultimately, the proposed experimentation technique allows generation of data required to evaluate the load transfer mechanisms amongst soil and reinforcement layers in reinforced soil structures. The strain magnitude in the neighboring reinforcements was found to exceed a magnitude of 10% of the strain magnitude obtained in the active reinforcement. The zone of shear stress transfer from the soil-reinforcement interface was found to exceed 0.2 m on each side of the active reinforcement.

Crash Involvement and Risky Riding Behaviors among Delivery Riders in China: The Role of Working Conditions

Delivery riders (usually e-bike riders employed in the delivery industry), an emerging occupation as a result of the booming of online commerce in China, have attracted social controversies for the prevalence of unsafe riding and high rates of crash involvement. Given their ever-increasing number and stressful working conditions, more attention should be paid to safety issues involving delivery riders. To illuminate the role of working conditions in influencing safety-related risks of delivery riders, this cross-sectional study was conducted among 824 delivery riders, who answered a self-administered questionnaire gathering information about their demographics, working conditions, riding behaviors, and crash involvement. A mixed probit model of the number of crashes involving riders that allowed for hierarchical relationships between the latent variables identified (i.e., time pressure, fatigue, risky riding behaviors) was employed to determine the underlying association between factors surveyed. The results portrayed a picture of worrisome working conditions for delivery riders. Respondents reported an average of 9.1 daily working hours with insufficient rest. Frequent stair climbing, route planning, and disputes with customers also added to their physical and mental workload. The tested model indicated that a heavy workload, feelings of fatigue, as well as risk-taking behaviors all exerted direct and significant impacts on the involvement in crashes, and time pressure as well as several work-related traits affected crash involvement indirectly, through influencing riders’ feeling of fatigue and riding behaviors. Findings of this study may provide an empirical basis for road safety interventions for delivery riders in China.

A structural path to job satisfaction, burnout, and intent to leave among child protection workers: A South Korean study

The child protection service workforce has been constantly challenged by high turnover due to the stressful nature of the job. To address high turnover, prior research has examined a wide range of predictors of child protection workers' intent to leave. This study aimed to identify the interrelationships of risk and protective factors, job satisfaction and burnout to child protection workers' intent to leave, the relative impact between job satisfaction and burnout on intent to leave, and their mediating roles for the risk and protective factors. Analyzing survey data from 93.9% of all public child protection workers in South Korea, we estimated a structural path from risk and protective factors to child protection workers' job satisfaction, burnout, and intent to leave. Path analysis revealed that with the significant effects of emotional exhaustion (β = 0.52, p < 0.000) and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment (β = 0.13, p < 0.024) on intent to leave, the organizational risk factors of role overload (β = 0.12, p < 0.000), safety concerns at work (β = 0.06, p < 0.021), and secondary traumatic stress (β = 0.09, p < 0.003) increased workers' intent to leave indirectly through emotional exhaustion. Rapport with supervisor (β = −0.15, p < 0.010) directly mitigated intent to leave. There was no significant effect of job satisfaction on intent to leave. Results suggest that for effective retention of child protection service manpower, it is crucial to prevent workers' emotional exhaustion by alleviating stressful working conditions and strengthening supervisory support.

Supervisor Support, Coworker Support and Presenteeism among Healthcare Workers in China: The Mediating Role of Distributive Justice.

Healthcare workers in China are exposed to extremely high job stress and inequitable work conditions, and the Healthy China 2030 blueprint has made them an important focus of policymakers. To examine the importance of distributive justice in Chinese medical reform, we analyzed data from 1542 healthcare workers employed in 64 primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals in 28 Chinese cities in Western, Central and Eastern China in 2018. Supervisor support, coworker support, distributive justice, and presenteeism were assessed with the supervisor support scale, coworker support scale, distributive justice scale and perceived ability to work scale, respectively. Structural equation modeling was used to examine relationships among variables. The mediating effect of distributive justice on associations between supervisor support, coworker support, and presenteeism was examined with the Sobel test. The results revealed that significant indirect effects between supervisor support and presenteeism and between coworker support and presenteeism were significantly mediated by distributive justice. Better supervisor and coworker support might improve distributive justice among healthcare workers in Chinese hospitals, thereby increasing their performance.

Work stress among older employees in Germany: Effects on health and retirement age.

BackgroundPolicy makers in aging societies aim for the extension of work lives by increasing the official retirement age. Despite these efforts, many people stop working before reaching this retirement age. The main reason for early retirement is poor health. Health in turn is influenced by exposure to the work environment. Furthermore, health and work stress are influenced by education, which may lead to different effects for the lowly and the highly educated.ObjectiveThis study examines the relationship between work stress and retirement age. It investigates whether this relationship is mediated by health and moderated by education. Three dimensions of health are taken into account: self-rated health (SRH), depressive symptoms, and high cardiovascular risk diseases (HCVR).MethodsA German subsample of the longitudinal Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) was linked with register data of the German Public Pension Scheme (SHARE-RV). The sample followed 302 individuals aged 50 to 65 years at baseline from 2004 to 2014. The data contains information on work stress, measured by job control and effort–reward–imbalance (ERI), health, and age of retirement. Multi-group structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the direct and indirect effects of work stress on retirement age via health. Work stress was lagged so that it temporally preceded health and retirement age.ResultsLower job control and poorer SRH lead to a lower retirement age. Health does not operate as a mediator in the relationship between work stress and retirement age. Education moderates the relationship between work stress and health: high ERI leads to better SRH and better physical health of higher educated persons. Low job control increases the risk of depressive symptoms for persons with less education.ConclusionsImproving stressful working conditions, particularly improving job control, can prolong the working lives of employees and postpone retirement.

PENGARUH STRES KERJA DAN KONDISI FISIK KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA DOSEN DAN TENAGA KEPENDIDIKAN PADA SEKOLAH TINGGI ILMU EKONOMI AMA SALATIGA

Abstrak Human resources as organizational assets are very decisive in the success of organizations including the STIE AMA Salatiga. The participation of the lecturers and education staff cannot be released in order to achieve the stated goals. Lecturers and education staff who are working require adequate physical work conditions and not high levels of stress to be able to perform better. The study was conducted to determine the effect of work stress and physical work conditions on the performance of lecturers and education staff at the AMA Salatiga College of Economics. The results of the study are expected to be an input for STIE AMA Salatiga in taking policies in an effort to improve the performance of lecturers and education staff, and are expected to have an impact on achieving the Function, Vision, Mission and Objectives of STIE AMA Salatiga. Based on the results of data analysis, researchers can draw conclusions about the effect of work stress and physical work conditions on the performance of lecturers and education staff at STIE AMA Salatiga as follows: The results of the validity test and reliability test show that each item statement and each research variable are declared valid and reliable. While the results of the partial test of work stress variables do not have a significant effect on the performance variables, while the physical condition variables work significantly influence the performance variables. Then simultaneous testing of work stress variables and physical conditions of work has a significant effect on performance variables. The coefficient of determination (R Square) is 0.20, this means that the independent variables of work stress and physical conditions of work can explain the dependent variable of performance by 20% and the remaining 80% explained by other factors not examined. Keywords : Stres Kerja, Kondisi Fisik Kerja, Kinerja

Compensation claims for work-related musculoskeletal disorders among hairdressers in France, 2010–2016

Background. Hairdressers in France experience occupational illness as well as stressful working conditions which can result in permanent incapacity mainly due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs), yet WRMSDs in this workforce remain largely unstudied. Objective. The aim of this study was to analyze trends in compensation claims for WRMSDs among hairdressers. Methods. Data concerning gender, age, permanent incapacity, working experience and lost work days (LWD) of claimants were extracted from the French National Health Insurance Fund for Salaried Workers. Results. The claim rate increased non-significantly by 12.8% during the study period. The incidence rate of permanent incapacity increased significantly by 16.0%. In proportion, significant differences were observed between age groups, with age 35–49 years ranking first (45.8%), and also in claimants with working experience > 10 years (43.1%). Overall, there were 666,461 LWD during the study period with a significant increase of 16.2% (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Although the claims rate did not increase significantly, the incidence rate of permanent incapacity increased significantly and some groups at risk have been indentified.

Quality of life among migrant construction workers in Bangalore city: A cross-sectional study

Context:The construction industry is one of the oldest industries in India, which employs a large number of workers of poor socioeconomic status. Bangalore has seen significant rise in the number of migrants from various parts of the country to work in construction industry. These workers suffer from lack of good accommodation, basic sanitation, health facilities, stressful working conditions, and poor social life. Quality of life (QoL) among a population is an essential step to understand and improve health status, well-being, and mental health of the population.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was done to assess QoL among migrant construction workers in Bangalore. We interviewed 400 workers using questionnaire containing sociodemographic profile and WHOQOLBREF scale. Factors associated with QoL were tested using independent “t” test and Chi-square test and P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Results:The mean age of the workers was 26.38 + /4.3 years and majority of them were men (95.2%). The smokers had higher mean score in psychological domain with a significant P value. Those who lived in huts had higher mean score (60.4+/9.71) in the social domain as compared with those who lived in pucca houses (59.7 + /12.5). Those who were married, worked as nonlaborers, lived in pucca houses, earned higher income had higher mean scores in the environmental domain compared with those who were unmarried, laborers, lived in huts, and earned lower income.Conclusion:Migrant construction workers had poor physical, social, and psychological QoL, whereas QoL in environmental domain is better compared with studies done across the country and it was significantly associated with higher income, education, better accommodation, and type of work. We recommend strategies to improve their physical, social and psychological well-being of this vulnerable population through strict legislations.

Evaluating the Performance of Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS) under Working Stress Condition

This paper evaluates the performance of geosynthetic reinforced soil-Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS) in terms of lateral facing deformation and strain distribution along geosynthetics. Simulations were conducted using 2D PLAXIS program. The hardening model proposed by Schanz et al. [1] was used to simulate the behavior of backfill material; the backfill-reinforcement interface was simulated using Mohr-Coulomb model, and the reinforcement and facing block were simulated using linear elastic models. The numerical model was verified using the results of a case study conducted at Maree Michel GRS-IBS, Louisiana. Parametric study was carried out to investigate the effects of span length, reinforcement spacing, and reinforcement stiffness on the performance of GRS-IBS. The results indicate that span length have significant impact on strain distribution along geosynthetics and lateral facing deformation. The reinforcement stiffness has significant impact on the GRS-IBS behavior up to a certain point, beyond which the effect tends to decrease contradictory to reinforcement spacing that has a consistent relationship between the GRS-IBS behavior and reinforcement spacing. The results also indicate that reinforcement spacing has higher influence on the lateral facing deformation than the reinforcement stiffness for the same reinforcement strength/spacing ratio (Tf/Sv) due to the composite behavior of closely reinforcement spacing.

Self-Control as a Core Component of Professional Competence of IT Students

Introduction. With jobs becoming more stressful, professional competences in solving tactical and strategic tasks grow in importance. The systematic self-control in stressful environment helps to find a rational approach, provides for work’s accuracy and productivity. It is important to study IT-students self-control experimentally as far as there is a discrepancy between employers’ demands and young employees’ skills. The article reveals the issue of self-control and highlights its importance. The authors present their experimental findings on IT-specialists’ self-control in stressful working conditions. Materials and Methods. The experiment exploits methodological triangulation and involves both qualitative (interview, observation) and quantitative (tests) research. Content-analysis and statistical methods were applied. Results. The emotional control deteriorates under conditions of monotony and time-pressure. The attention of IT-students is unsustainable. Their actions become slower and less precise. The lack of self-control is observed. Discussion and Conclusion. The self-control is essential for professional competence of IT students. The latter lacks self-control under stress. The article considers perspective ways of the self-control development. The findings have practical importance for psychologists and educators. They can be applied in psychological support programs for high school and university students as well as for self-control training. Further studies should focus on IT-students’ self-control formation and enhancement. Keywords: self-control, emotional and volitional constituents of self-control, IT students, stressful working conditions, activity’s accuracy and productivity, technologies of self-control development

Work stress and health problems of professional drivers: a hazardous formula for their safety outcomes.

BackgroundSeveral empirical studies have shown that professional drivers are a vulnerable occupational group, usually exposed to environmental stressors and adverse work conditions. Furthermore, recent studies have associated work-related stress with negative job performances and adverse health outcomes within this occupational group, including cardiovascular diseases and unsafe vehicle operation.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to describe the working conditions and the health status of this occupational group, and to evaluate the association between the Demand–Control model of job stress and their self-reported health and safety outcomes.MethodsA pooled sample of 3,665 Colombian professional drivers was drawn from five different studies. The Job Content Questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire were used to measure work stress and self-reported mental health, respectively. Additionally, professional drivers self-reported health problems (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes and overweight) and health-related risky behaviors (smoking and sedentary behavior).ResultsRegarding the Job Demands–Control (JDC) model, it was found that approximately a third part of Colombian professional drivers suffer from high job strain (29.1%). Correlational and multivariate analyses suggest that de JDC model of stress is associated with the professional drivers’ mental health, traffic accidents and fines, but not with other physical and behavioral health-related outcomes, which are highly prevalent among this occupational group, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, overweight, smoking and sedentary behavior.ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that (a) stressful working conditions are associated with health and lifestyle-related outcomes among professional drivers, and (b) that evidence-based interventions are needed in order to reduce hazardous working conditions, job stress rates and their negative impact on the health of this occupational group.

Sleep and Mental Health in Truck Drivers: Descriptive Review of the Current Evidence and Proposal of Strategies for Primary Prevention.

Background: Professional truck drivers (TDs) are exposed to stressful working (and living) conditions and are vulnerable. They report physical and mental health problems and psychological distress more frequently than the general population and their problems can affect safety on the roads. Actions to improve TDs’ health and reduce the risks of (co-)morbidity or unsafe driving are imperative. Methods: The published studies dealing with the TDs’ sleep habits and mental health were reviewed to define the scenario and organize the preventive strategies proposed thus far. Results: Awareness among TDs of the high risk for health and safety due to (often co-existing) untreated sleep and mental health problems is critical. Alcohol and prescribed or illicit drugs are often misused to compensate for depression, anxiety, job strain, fatigue, and social isolation. Polypharmacy and dependence increase the chance of unsafe behaviors on the road. The TDs’ access to healthcare services is scant, and participation in industry-sponsored wellness programs is limited. Conclusions: Primary prevention is a first unavoidable step to deal with sleep and mental health problems. Educational programs, online support and tele-health assessment/monitoring would help improve the well-being, safety and health of professional TDs and increase safety on the road.

Leadership climate prevents emotional exhaustion in German police officers

Police officers are exposed to a high amount of work effort in their everyday employment. This increases their risk of developing emotional exhaustion, the key symptom of the burnout syndrome. Previous research suggests that leadership climate is important for employees’ health and thus might be protective against emotional exhaustion. This study investigated whether a positive leadership climate prevents emotional exhaustion and buffers the negative impact of work effort in police officers. Data from a cross-sectional health survey in a German police department ( N = 570) were used to test the assumptions. Results of the hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that high work effort was correlated with high levels of emotional exhaustion and positive leadership climate was associated with low levels of emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, both predictor variables interacted, indicating a buffer effect of a positive leadership climate under stressful working conditions. This is the first study to show both direct and indirect protective effects of a positive leadership climate in police officers. In police work, stressful working conditions such as high work effort are hard to avoid. Thus, it is crucial to promote preventive factors such as a positive leadership climate to protect police officers’ health. Suggestions of how police supervisors and departments might establish a positive leadership climate are presented.

The influence of psychosocial working conditions on late-life physical functioning

Background In older adults, increasing age correlates with declining physical functioning. The growing demographic challenge posed by an aging population makes finding predictors of physical functioning in old age increasingly important. Work dominates much of our adult lives, which makes it likely that the workplace is important to health and aging. Stressful working conditions have been associated with limitations in physical functioning in old age. Active jobs (high psychological demands, high control) are considered to increase learning, which may reduce the perception of situations as stressful and instead be viewed as challenges and opportunities for personal growth. This will, in turn, lead to feelings of self-efficacy that may encourage an active leisure-time, such as physical activity. We investigated the long-term association between active jobs and mobility in old age. Method Two individually linked Swedish surveys were used (n = 775). A psychosocial job-exposure matrix was used to measure active jobs four times in midlife (age 40–65). Mobility was measured in 2014 as the self-reported ability to stand without support, walk up and down stairs, walk 100 meters fairly briskly, rise from a chair with arms crossed across the chest, and ability to balance indoors, summarized in a 5-item index (0–5). Data were analyzed with ordered logistic regressions. Results Having an active job was associated with significantly better mobility in old age compared to people in non-active jobs. However, the accumulated score of active jobs over working life were not more strongly associated with mobility in old age than the score of active job in 1991, which may indicate that the conditions of a person's most recent job mattered the most. Conclusions Active job conditions in midlife are important predictors of mobility in old age. Promoting active job conditions may be used to improve midlife interventions aimed at preventing physical deterioration later in life.

When is job control most useful for idea championing? Role conflict and psychological contract violation effects

AbstractDrawing from conservation of resources theory, this article investigates the relationship between job control (a critical job resource) and idea championing, as well as how this relationship may be augmented by stressful work conditions that can lead to resource losses, such as conflicting work role demands and psychological contract violations. With quantitative data collected from employees of an organization that operates in the chemical sector, this study reveals that job control increases the propensity to champion innovative ideas. This effect is especially salient when employees experience high levels of role conflict and psychological contract violations. For organizations, the results demonstrate that giving employees more control over whether they invest in championing activities will be most beneficial when those employees also face resource-draining work conditions, in the form of either incompatible role expectations or unfilled employer obligations.

Stress and coping among consultant physicians working in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUNDExposure to stressful working conditions without adequate stress-coping strategies may lead to stress and even psychiatric morbidity. There are a dearth of studies on stress-coping strategies among consultant physicians in the Arabian Gulf.OBJECTIVESDetermine stress-coping strategies among consultants in Saudi Arabia and the relationship of strategies to level of stress.DESIGNAnalytical cross-sectional study.SETTINGSConducted between November 2014 and March 2015 among physician consultants registered at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.SUBJECTS AND METHODSText messages were used to directly ask consultants to complete an online questionnaire.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESThe 28-item Brief COPE inventory and the Perceived Stress Scale.SAMPLE SIZE582.RESULTSThe consultants were largely males (71%) and Saudi (56%), and their mean age was 46.9 (7.9) years. Adaptive stress-coping strategies were more frequently used than maladaptive stress-coping strategies (68% versus 49%). Stress levels were positively correlated with maladaptive stress-coping strategies (r=0.41, P<.001) and negatively correlated with adaptive stress-coping strategies (r=-0.09, P=.026). Religion was the most frequently reported stress-coping strategy (79.6%) while alcohol drinking or substance use was the least frequently reported stress-coping strategy (28.0%). Females used both adaptive and maladaptive stress-coping strategies more than males (P=.002 and P<.001, respectively). Stress management education/training was positively associated with frequent use of adaptive stress-coping strategies.CONCLUSIONSPhysician consultants generally cope well with work stressors. Nevertheless, there is still a critical need for stress management programs targeting consultants in order to further improve coping strategies.LIMITATIONSThe low response rate may negatively impact the validity and the generalizability of the current findings. The cross-sectional study design precluded the finding of any causal association.

Earth pressure coefficients for reinforcement loads of vertical geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls under working stress conditions

Based on the nonlinear elastic theory and stress-dilatancy theory, two earth pressure coefficients were proposed to analyze the reinforcement loads at the potential failure surface of vertical geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls under working stress conditions. The earth pressure coefficients take into account the force equilibrium and compatible deformations between soil and reinforcement, and can be obtained by solving two implicit functions by an iterative or graphic method. The effects of backfill compaction and facing restriction are taken into account in the earth pressure coefficients by two additional stress factors, which have been derived analytically using straightforward approaches. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods, comparisons were made with the results from large scale tests and numerical simulations. It was demonstrated that the reinforcement loads predicted by the proposed methods were in good agreement with the experimental or numerical results.