Survey Work-Home Interaction-NijmeGen Research Articles

Influence of Personal and Work Environments on Work-Life Balance Among Emergency Medical Technicians.

Introduction Work-life balance (WLB) is a critical concern for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) because it significantly affects the provision of comprehensive emergency medical services (EMS). This study investigated personal and work-related factors influencing work-to-family negative spillover (WFNS), a key element of WLB, among EMTs. Methods A web-based survey was conducted from July 26 to September 13, 2021, among EMTs in Hokkaido, Japan. The study included 21 facilities that were randomly selected from 42 fire stations. The Japanese version of the Survey Work-Home Interaction-NijmeGen (SWING-J) was used to measure WFNS. Personal background factors, such as age, sex, years of work experience, and education, were surveyed. We also evaluated work environment factors, such as weekly working hours, monthly night shifts, monthly overtime hours, and yearly paid vacation days. Unpaired Student's t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multilevel generalized linear model (MGLM) analyses were used to explore the relationships between WFNS and personal and work-related factors. Results A total of 912 respondents were included in our analysis. They were predominantly male (98.2%), with an average EMT work experience of 12.7 years and a mean WFNS score of 1.16 (standard deviation (SD) = 1.67). MGLM analysis, adjusting for covariates, identified years of work experience (β = -0.129, p = 0.001), monthly overtime hours (β = 0.184, p < 0.001), and yearly paid vacation days (β = -0.170, p < 0.001) as independent factors associated with WFNS. Conclusion This study suggested that adjusting WFNS among EMTs could be achieved by reducing overtime hours and fostering an organized approach to paid leave within the work environment.

Felicidade no trabalho e interação familiar em enfermeiros: estudo transversal

Objective: to analyze the association among happiness at work, family interaction and sociodemographic/professional variables in nurses in the hospital context. Methods: cross-sectional study with a convenience sample of 363 nurses. Questionnaires for sociodemographic/professional characterization, Shorted Happiness at Work Scale and Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen were applied. In data analysis and processing, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results: moderate levels of happiness at work (4.44±1.15) and moderate to low levels of family interaction (1.02±0.31) were observed. Marital status, leisure activities, place of work, length of professional experience, professional category, working hours and perception of stressful work were associated with happiness at work. Age, gender, children, dependents, leisure activities, length of professional experience, working hours and perception of stressful work were associated with family interaction. Conclusion: nurses showed moderate levels of happiness at work and moderate to low levels of family interaction, associated with specific sociodemographic and professional variables.

The relationship between physicians' self-kindness and professional fulfillment and the mediating role of personal resilience and work-home interference: A cross-sectional study.

Professional fulfillment is crucial for physicians' well-being and optimal patient care. Highly demanding work environments, perfectionism and self-critical attitudes jeopardize physicians' professional fulfillment. To explore to what extent a kinder attitude towards the self, i.e. self-kindness, was associated with physicians' professional fulfillment and whether this relationship was mediated by personal resilience and work-home interference. In 2020, cardiologists (n = 374) in the Netherlands participated in a web-based survey. Self-kindness was measured by the self-kindness subscale of the Self-Compassion Scale, personal resilience by the Brief Resilience Scale, work-home interference by the negative Work-Home Interference subscale of the Survey Work-Home Interaction-Nijmegen, and professional fulfillment by the corresponding subscale of the Professional Fulfillment Index. Using Hayes' SPSS macro PROCESS v3.5, the authors tested the parallel mediation model. Self-kindness was not directly associated with professional fulfillment (direct effect = .042, p = .36, 95% CI: -0.048, 0.132). Self-kindness was indirectly related to professional fulfillment through individual resilience (indirect effect = .049, 95% CI: .020, 0.086) and work-home interference (indirect effect = .057, 95% CI: .023, 096). This study suggests that improving physicians' self-kindness may enhance professional fulfillment through personal resilience and work-home interference. Our findings may stimulate and remind physicians to be kind towards themselves as it may benefit them and their patients.

Influence of work and family environment on burnout among emergency medical technicians.

Burnout among emergency medical technicians is a serious problem affecting delivery of quality emergency medical services. Although the repetitive nature of the job and lower education level requirements for technicians have been reported as risk factors, little is known about the influence of burden of responsibility, degree of supervisor support, and home environment on burnout among emergency medical technicians. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that burden of responsibility, degree of supervisor support, and home environment increase burnout probability. A web-based survey was conducted among emergency medical technicians in Hokkaido, Japan from July 26, 2021 to September 13, 2021. A total of 21 facilities were randomly selected from 42 fire stations. Prevalence of burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout-Human Services Survey Inventory (MBI-HSS). Burden of responsibility was measured using a visual analog scale. Occupational background was also measured. Supervisor support was measured using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ). Family-work negative spillover was measured using the Japanese version of Survey Work-Home Interaction-NijmeGen (SWING). The cutoff value for burnout syndrome was defined as emotional exhaustion≥27 and/or depersonalization≥10. A total of 700 survey respondents were included, and 27 surveys with missing data were excluded. The suspected burnout frequency was 25.6%. Covariates were adjusted using multilevel logistic regression model analysis. Low supervisor support (odds ratio, 1.421; 95% confidence interval, 1.136-1.406; P<0.001) and high family-work negative spillover (odds ratio, 1.264; 95% confidence interval, 1.285-1.571; P<0.001) were independent factors associated with higher probability of burnout. This study indicated that focusing on improvement of supervisor support for emergency medical technicians and creating supportive home environments may assist in reducing burnout frequency.

Psychosocial Factors Associated with Burnout and Self-Perceived Health in Spanish Occupational Therapists.

(1) Background: There are few studies of burnout syndrome (BS) in occupational therapists (OTs), and protective factors for BS have received little attention in the scientific literature. This research aimed to estimate the prevalence of BS, characterize the associated psychosocial factors, and analyze their relationship with health in a sample of Spanish OTs. (2) Methods: A total of 127 therapists completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and other standardized questionnaires measuring: personality traits (reduced five-factor personality inventory, NEO-FFI), coping styles (Coping Strategies Questionnaire, CAE), work-family conflict (Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen, SWING), professional factors (role ambiguity/clarity and modified role conflict questionnaires), and the perception of health (Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire). Several correlational and multiple regression analyses were performed to study the psychosocial predictors of burnout and its relationship with health perceptions. (3) Results: 15.8% of the professionals presented BS, with emotional exhaustion (EE; 38.7%) being the most compromised dimension. Neuroticism, role conflict, negative work-family interaction, and open emotional expression (OE) significantly predicted a higher EE. The main predictors of cynicism (CY) were being male, role conflict, and OE. Role conflict, role ambiguity and social support-seeking were significant predictors of reduced professional efficiency (PE). (4) Conclusions: A high percentage of OTs with BS suggests the need for increased awareness of the importance of this syndrome in the health community. It would be critical to consider the protective factors (i.e., emotional management, social support) that help promote OTs' well-being and health.

Psychometric properties of the survey work-home interaction nijmegen in Argentinian population.

Frictions between work and family life have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing negative consequences on the mental health and quality of life of workers. Without validated instruments, it is not possible to determine the impact of Work-Family and Family-Work conflict. To date, no studies have been conducted to provide evidence of the validity and reliability of The Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen (SWING; 22 items) in the population of Argentine workers. The SWING was administered to 611 Argentine workers of both sexes (73.6% female) aged between 18 and 70 years (M = 35.33; SD = 9.16) selected from a non-probabilistic accidental sampling. The confirmatory factor analysis showed satisfactory fit indices of the original four-factor model (χ2 = 647.073, gl = 203, CFI = 0.93, GFI = 0.92, NFI = 0.90, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.05, AIC = 557.9, BIC = 821.5). The level of reliability was acceptable (α between 0.68 and 0.86, ω = 0.79–0.89). The relationships of the subscale scores with the engagement and burnout variables were as expected according to previous studies. Having an instrument adequately adapted to the population of Argentine workers facilitates the development of studies aimed at evaluating the role of W-F or F-W interactions and their implications for health and productivity.

Workaholism and work-family interaction among emergency and critical care nurses

ObjectivesInvestigating the prevalence of workaholism as well as the relationship between work-family interaction among emergency and critical care nurses. Research methodology/designA quantitative cross-sectional study. SettingA total of 219 nurses took part in the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (DUWAS-10) and the Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen (SWING), which included socio–demographic and occupational question. Data was gathered in Spain between June and September 2019. ResultsWorkaholism was found to be prevalent in 28.3% of the participants. In all four categories, workaholism was statistically connected to work-home interaction, with workaholics having higher means than non-workaholics. Perceived work stress was related to workaholism (p =.036). In the Work Excessively dimension, female nurses had significantly higher mean scores (M = 2.26) than their male counterparts (M = 1,88).In addition, in the Negative Work-Home Interaction (M = 2.04), the global mean scores were higher than in the Negative Home-Work Interaction (M = 1.34), indicating conflict and a negative impact of work on the family. ConclusionThe findings of this study demonstratedthe necessity of taking into account demands and resources from both the work and home domains since it has been shown that both have an impact on one other. Furthermore, given the vital responsibilities that emergency and critical care nurses play in the health care system, our findings suggest that occupational health treatments should be used to identify those working profiles that are particularly at risk.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Higher Education: Characterizing the Psychosocial Context of the Positive and Negative Affective States Using Classification and Regression Trees.

Our aim is to analyze the extent to which the psychosocial aspects can characterize the affective states of the teachers, administrative staff, and undergraduate and postgraduate students during the quarantine. A questionnaire was answered by 1,328 people from the community of the Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Spain. The survey was partially designed ad hoc, collecting indicators related to sociodemographic variables, the impact of COVID on the subjects or in their personal context, the psychosocial context of coexistence and perceived social support, characteristics related to the physical context during the quarantine, and labor conditions. Additionally, it included two validated instruments: the Survey Work-Home Interaction–Nijmegen for Spanish Speaking Countries (SWING-SSC) validated in Spanish and PANAS, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Classification and Regression Trees (CART) were performed to identify which variables better characterize the participants' level of positive and negative affective states. Results according to groups showed that students are the ones who have suffered the most as a result of this situation (temporary employment regulation, higher scores in negative work-home and home-work interaction, lower scores in positive home-work interaction, and negative effects of teleworking). Additionally, they reported a higher mean score in interpersonal conflict and worse scores with regard to negative affective states. Based on sex, women were the ones whose environment was shown to be more frequently affected by the pandemic and who exhibited more negative effects of teleworking. In general terms, participants with the highest scores in negative affective states were those who perceived an increase in conflict and a high negative effect from work spilling over into their personal lives. On the contrary, participants with the highest levels of positive affective states were those with medium to low levels of negative home-work interaction, over 42.5 years old, and with medium to high levels of positive work-home interaction. Our results aim to help higher education to reflect on the need to adapt to this new reality, since the institutions that keep pace with evolving trends will be able to better attract, retain, and engage all the members of the university community in the years ahead.

Complex interplay between moral distress and other risk factors of burnout in ICU professionals: findings from a cross-sectional survey study

BackgroundBurnout threatens intensive care unit (ICU) professionals’ capacity to provide high-quality care. Moral distress is previously considered a root cause of burnout, but there are other risk factors of burnout...

Well-being at work and its association with work-home interactions: a study of young Vietnamese employees

BackgroundStudying well-being at work and how it is related to employees’ work-home interactions has been of great con-cern to both researchers and policy-makers in recent years. The aim of this study is to investigate the status of well-being at work of young Vietnamese employees working in Hanoi city and how dimensions of their work-home interaction contribute to their well-being at work.Participants and procedureA self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 675 Vietnamese employees whose age was un-der 35 years. Demo and Paschoal’s well-being at work scale and the Survey Work-Home Interaction – Nijme-gen (SWING) scale were applied to measure employees’ well-being at work and work-home interactions re-spectively. The control variables include employees’ sex, marital status, working tenure, work position, mentor-ing, and type of organization.ResultsThis study documented differences in the status of well-being at work between groups by gender, work posi-tion, mentoring, whereas no difference was found between groups in age, marital status, working tenure or types of organization. Regression results demonstrated that altogether positive work-home, negative work-home, positive home-work interactions and work position can explain quite well the variance of employees’ well-being at work, and the predictive power of positive interaction for well-being at work was significantly stronger than that of work position and negative work-home interaction.ConclusionsOur results suggested that to promote employees’ well-being at work, organizations should invest in boosting the positive interactions between work and home life of employees. Work position, gender issue and mentoring are also meaningful determinants of well-being at work.

Associations among behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, care burden, and family-to-work conflict of employed family caregivers.

The present study aimed to examine the associations among behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) of persons with dementia (PWD), care burden and family-to-work conflict (FWC) of employed family caregivers. A cross-sectional study was carried out with employed adult daughter or son (or in-law) caregivers for PWD from two rural cities in Japan. FWC, care burden and the degree of BPSD were evaluated by the Survey Work-Home Interaction-NijmeGen, Zarit Burden Scale-Short Version and Dementia Behavior Disturbance Scale, respectively. Of the 200 questionnaires distributed, 130 were returned. A total of 53 respondents were not employed, and seven questionnaires had missing data for demographic variables, Survey Work-Home Interaction-NijmeGen, Zarit Burden Scale-Short Version or Dementia Behavior Disturbance Scale. Thus, complete data from 70 respondents were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The mean age of employed family caregivers was 56 years, and 34 (48.5%) were men. The mean age of PWD was 84 years, and there were 68 (68.6%) men. The path model with a good fit was shown (root mean square error of approximation 0.136, comparative fit index 0.960 and goodness of fit index 0.965). The path model showed that BPSD affected FWC, and that the association was partially mediated by care burden. The results show that a decrease in not only care burden, but also BPSD, of PWD is important for employed family caregivers to reduce their FWC and maintain their work-life balance. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 51-55.

The Romanian Adaptation of the Survey Work-Home Interaction, NijmeGen.

To date, there are no scales measuring work-home interaction which are adapted for the Eastern European population. Owing to the significantly different sociocultural contexts and geopolitical history between Western and Eastern populations, despite the massive contemporary East-West migration, a more culturally appropriate scale is needed to ensure valid and reliable measurement of the construct. This article presents the adaptation of the Survey Work-Home Interaction-NijmeGen (SWING) for the Romanian population. The results show that SWING can successfully measure work-home interaction for this population. Gender equivalence is also discussed.

Work-Family Balance, Participation in Family Work and Parental Self-Efficacy in Chilean Workers

The article analyzes differences regarding work-family balance, participation in family work, and parental self-efficacy in workers (N=300) in Chile according to their sex and their status as income providers. Three instruments (Survey Work-Home Interaction-Nijmegen, Questionnaire of Participation in Family Work, and the Parental Evaluation Scale) were applied to workers from public and private organizations. Our results show that participation in family work is positively related to work-family balance, while the latter, in turn, is positively associated with parental self-efficacy. Furthermore, sex and being the main income provider in the household shows differential effects in both participation in family work and perception of parental self-efficacy. These results, we conclude, suggest the persistence of some elements of traditional gender patterns. This underlines the need to examine organizational policies from a gender perspective and to analyze the impact of public policy on organizational practices.

Analysis of responses to work-home interaction as measured by the SWING

The primary objective of this study was to analyse the responses of the Survey Work-home Interaction-Nijmegen – (SWING) using the Rasch measurement model. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was used. Paper-and-pencil copies of the SWING were distributed to heterosexual working couples that lived in the greater Gauteng region in South Africa (n = 318; females = 50%; age range 25 to 65, Black Africans = 35%, various work sectors). The main findings of this study indicate that work-home interaction is a multidimensional construct that can validly be measured by the four SWING subscales: (1) negative work-home interaction; (2) positive work-home interaction; (3) negative home-work interaction; and (4) positive work-home interaction. Further validation work should seek to develop shorter and more efficient measures of SWING subscales.

Burnout and work-family interaction among nurses: An exploratory study with the Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen (SWING)

Burnout and work-family interaction among nurses: An exploratory study with the Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen (SWING)

Job characteristics and coping strategies associated with negative and positive work-home interference in a nursing environment

The aim of this study is to determine which job characteristics and coping strategies predict negative and positive work-home interference (WHI) in the nursing environment. Random samples (n=300) were taken of registered nurses in the Johannesburg, Klerksdorp, Krugersdorp, Potchefstroom and Pretoria regions. A self-constructed questionnaire was used to measure job characteristics. The Coping Strategy Indicator (CSI) was used to measure coping strategies, and the Survey Work-Home Interaction-Nijmegen (SWING) to measure WHI. The results show that time demands, pressure, role clarity and colleague support are the main job characteristics that predict negative WHI. Problem-solving coping predicts less negative WHI and avoidance coping predicts more negative WHI. Time demands, autonomy and role clarity are the main variables that predict positive WHI. Problem-solving coping is the only coping strategy that predicts positive WHI.

Predictors of burnout among nurses: an interactionist approach.

Nurses' practice involves working in complex organizational settings and facing multiple stressors over time that can lead to burnout. This study aimed to identify predictors of burnout among nurses working in hospitals. A sample of 1,157 participants from four hospitals in the city of Porto (Portugal) was investigated (78% women, mean age = 34.7 years) using socio-demographic and work variable questionnaires, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS), Personal Views Survey (PVS), Job Satisfaction Scale (S20/23), and Survey Work-Home Interaction - NijmeGen (SWING). Multiple linear hierarchical regression analyses (stepwise method) showed that gender, age, years of experience at work, working in more than one institution, being involved in management positions, job satisfaction, hardiness, and experience of work-home and home-work interaction, seem to be predictors of burnout among nurses. This study adds support to the interactionist approach to burnout. In other words, it is crucial to investigate the relationship between several factors such as socio-demographic, work, and personality factors to understand burnout. Additionally, these findings should be taken into account when designing burnout prevention programs for nurses working in hospitals.

Work-home interaction of employees in the mining industry

This study aimed to test the construct validity, factorial invariance and reliability of the Survey Work-Home Interaction-NijmeGen (SWING) and to explore whether and how the work-home interaction of various socio-demographic groups differ. Random samples (n = 320) were taken of employees in the mining industry. The confirmatory factor analysis results supported the proposed four-factor structure measuring negative/positive work-home interference and negative/positive home-work interference. The multi-group invariance analyses’ results for two language and ethnic groups also supported the factorial invariance of the SWING. All the scales were found to be reliable. Statistically significant differences in work-home interaction were found, based on age, ethnicity, gender, education, marital status, parental status, language, flexibility at work and individuals who had a partner with a paid job.

Work–home interference: Examining socio-demographic predictors in the South African context

Orientation: The focus of this study was to investigate the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and the work–home interaction in different occupational groups in South Africa.Research purpose: The main research aim of the study was to investigate the socio-demographic predictors of negative and positive work–home interaction of South African employees.Motivation for the study: Little information is known about the prevalence of work–home interaction within groups. This study is aimed at enabling the researcher and organisations to identify those groups that are at risk of negative interference and which are prone to positive interaction, to allow for the development of appropriate strategies and intervention programmes.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used in the study. A sample (N = 2040) was taken from four South African industries (i.e. the police service, the earthmoving equipment industry, mining and nursing). A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Survey Work–Home Interaction-Nijmegen (SWING) were used.Main findings: The results indicated that robust predictors included occupation, gender and language for negative work–home interference; occupation, age and language for positive work–home interference; occupation and language for negative home–work interference; and occupation, age, education and language for positive home–work interference.Practical/managerial implications: The implications of the study are that negative and positive work–home interaction is uniquely associated with socio-demographic characteristics. Work–life balance initiatives should, therefore, be carefully tailored to address the needs of each socio-demographic group.Contribution/value-add: The findings of the study suggest answers to the management of the work–home interaction among various socio-demographic groups in organisations.

Reasons and strategies associated with positive interaction between work and home amongst managers: An exploratory study

Orientation: In order to facilitate positive interaction between work and home, it is necessary to understand the reasons for and strategies used by managerial employees to manage this interaction.Research purpose: The objectives of this study were to determine, (1) reasons why employees experience high or low positive work–home interaction and (2) strategies that employees with high and low positive interaction use.Motivation for the study: Positive interaction between work and home, particularly in managerial employees, is becoming increasingly more important with a view to ensuring a stable and healthy work–home life.Research design, approach and method: A random clustered sample (n = 275) was taken from managerial employees in a multinational organisation and the Survey Work–Home Interaction-Nijmegen (SWING) was administered to identify participants with high and low positive interaction between work and home respectively. Thereafter, exploratory qualitative interviews were conducted with selected participants (n = 32) to deduce themes for the above-mentioned objectives. Content analysis was used to analyse, quantify and interpret the research data.Main findings: Reasons for high or low positive interaction were identified in conjunction with previous research. Ten successful strategies for positive interaction between work and home were identified and reported.Managerial/practical implications: Organisational recommendations made include changing the organisational culture to being more supportive, developing employees for future positions and creating social networks. In addition, individual strategies and recommendations for future research are identified.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the limited research on strategies for positive interaction between work and home among managerial employees.