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Ye X, Dou Z, Jiang M, Luo Z, Li M, Tang H, Huang X, Wang Y, Dong L, Mao X, Feng Y. Effects of Linpan nature therapy on health benefits in older women with and without hypertension. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1208481. [PMID: 38026306 PMCID: PMC10653337 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1208481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nature therapy can significantly benefit the physiology and psychology of middle-aged and older people, but previous studies have focused on forest environments. The restoration potential of rural environments in urban fringe areas, which are more accessible to older people on a daily basis, has not been fully studied. This study assessed the effects of nature therapy on the physical and mental health of older women in a rural setting (locally known as Linpan) in the urban fringe area of Chengdu, China. Methods We recruited a total of 60 older women (65.3 ± 5.5 years old) living in cities for 3 days of nature therapy in the winter (30 subjects) and spring (30 subjects), including 20 hypertensive patients. Results The results showed that the overall blood pressure, pulse and sleep dysfunction rating scores of the participants were significantly lower than the pretest levels, and the finger blood oxygen saturation, mid-day salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol were increased post-treatment. Increases in these biomarker indicates and increase in stress. There were significant differences in the changes in systolic blood pressure between the hypertension group (HTN) and the normal group (normal) (HTN decreased by 8.8%, normal decreased by 5.4%), salivary alpha-amylase content (HTN decreased by 0.3%, normal increased by 16.9%), and sleep dysfunction rating scores (HTN decreased by 59.6%, normal decreased by 54%). The decreases in systolic blood pressure and pulse in the winter group were higher than those in the spring group by 1.8 and 4.4%, respectively, while the increases in salivary alpha-amylase content and salivary cortisol content were lower than those in the spring group by 11.7 and 11.2%, respectively, and the decrease in sleep dysfunction rating scores was lower than that in the spring group by 7.1%. Conclusion Our study concluded that nature therapy based on various health activities in the Linpan has significant health effects on older women. It can regulate blood pressure and pulse in older women, relieve cardiovascular disease, improve sleep quality. Meanwhile, older women with high blood pressure experienced a more significant effect than the healthy group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Ye
- College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiwen Dou
- Railway Cultural Tourism Investment Group, Health Industry Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Mingyan Jiang
- College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhenghua Luo
- College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mao Li
- Railway Cultural Tourism Investment Group, Health Industry Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Haixiong Tang
- College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao Huang
- Railway Cultural Tourism Investment Group, Health Industry Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Yuqian Wang
- College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Liwei Dong
- Railway Cultural Tourism Investment Group, Health Industry Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoguang Mao
- Railway Cultural Tourism Investment Group, Health Industry Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
| | - Yu Feng
- Railway Cultural Tourism Investment Group, Health Industry Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
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Kaltenegger HC, Weigl M, Becker L, Rohleder N, Nowak D, Quartucci C. Psychosocial working conditions and chronic low-grade inflammation in geriatric care professionals: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274202. [PMID: 36107874 PMCID: PMC9477283 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Chronic low-grade inflammation has been suggested as a key factor in the association between stress exposure and long-term health. Care work is recognized as a profession with a high degree of job stress and health risks. However, for care professionals, the study base on inflammatory activity due to adverse working conditions is limited.
Objective
The aim of this study was to explore associations between self-reported psychosocial working conditions and care professionals’ biomarkers of systemic low-grade inflammation.
Methods
N = 140 geriatric care professionals (79.3% females, mean age = 44.1 years) of six care facilities were enrolled in a cross-sectional study consisting of standardized medical examinations and employee surveys. Standardized questionnaires were used for evaluation of psychosocial work characteristics (work overload, job autonomy, social support) based on Karasek’s job strain model. Blood samples were drawn for two biomarkers of inflammatory activity: C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocyte count. Analyses comprised uni- and multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses.
Results
We determined a proportion of 5.4% of care professionals with increased low-grade inflammation. We further observed a relationship between job autonomy and CRP, such that reports of high job autonomy were associated with increased levels of CRP (adjusted OR = 4.10, 95% CI [1.10, 15.26], p = .035), which was robust in additional analyses on further potential confounders. No significant associations with participants’ leukocyte numbers were found.
Conclusions
This exploratory study contributes to the research base on links between workplace stress and ensuing illness in care professionals. Our findings may help to identify risk and protective factors of the work environment for chronic low-grade inflammation. The results require further scrutiny, and future prospective studies on associations of psychosocial working conditions, low-grade inflammation and long-term health outcomes in care professionals are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena C. Kaltenegger
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Matthias Weigl
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Patient Safety, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Linda Becker
- Chair of Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Rohleder
- Chair of Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Dennis Nowak
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Caroline Quartucci
- Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Institute for Occupational Health and Product Safety, Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
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Kanwal N, Isha ASN. The Moderating Effects of Social Media Activities on the Relationship Between Effort-Reward Imbalance and Health and Wellbeing: A Case Study of the Oil and Gas Industry in Malaysia. Front Public Health 2022; 10:805733. [PMID: 35372179 PMCID: PMC8971610 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.805733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Social media activities affect every aspect of human life, be it personal, social or professional. Previous studies have confirmed the role of social media in affecting health in terms of releasing stress and providing social support. Increased occupational health disorders and increased time spent on social media activities motivate us to investigate this phenomenon in the context of occupational health. Therefore, the objective of this study is to measure the effects of social media activities related to personal and social life as well as work-life on health and wellbeing of office employees, on their job efforts and job rewards, and in moderating the effect of effort-reward imbalance on health and wellbeing. Methods Initially, to develop constructs related to social media activities, web-based structured interviews were conducted with five office employees working in the oil and gas industry for the last 5 years. Then, using an online questionnaire survey, data was collected from 424 office employees working in the oil and gas industry in Malaysia. Using statistical software for social science (SPSS) and Smart PLS, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to identify reliability and validity (discriminant validity, convergent validity and composite validity) of the constructs. Following this, path analysis was conducted and the moderating effects were identified. Results Social media activities related to work-life decrease health and wellbeing by 11% and weaken the negative effect of effort-reward-imbalance on health and wellbeing by 17.6% at a 1% level of significance. The results of social media activities related to personal and social life strengthen the negative effect of effort-reward imbalance on health and wellbeing by 12% and negatively affects health and wellbeing and job rewards by 13, 55%, respectively. The direct effect of effort-reward imbalance and job efforts is significantly negative on health and wellbeing by 59 and 10%, respectively. Conclusion It is concluded that social media activities of the office employees significantly moderate the effect of effort-reward imbalance on health and wellbeing and intervene in job rewards in the organizations. Hence, the effect of social media activities reduces the health and wellbeing of office employees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noreen Kanwal
- Department of Management and Humanities, University of Technology Petronas, Tronoh, Malaysia
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Liu X, Dang W, Liu H, Song Y, Li Y, Xu W. Associations between chronic work stress and plasma chromogranin A/catestatin among healthy workers. J Occup Health 2022; 64:e12321. [PMID: 35297526 PMCID: PMC9176708 DOI: 10.1002/1348-9585.12321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Plasma chromogranin A (CgA) may play a critical role on linking work stress to health outcomes. The aim of our study was to investigate the associations between work stress and plasma CgA levels in healthy workers without chronic diseases. METHODS The study included 260 healthy workers from EHOP study. Work stressors were assessed by the Chinese version of the 23-item ERI-Q questionnaire. Plasma CgA and catestatin levels were measured by ELISA kits. The demographic characteristics were collected from medical records. RESULTS Among the final 260 subjects including 173 males (66.5%) and 87 females (33.5%), the average age was 37.6 ± 10.6 years old. Effort, overcommitment, and ERI were positively associated with plasma CgA level, respectively (r = 0.267, 0.319, and 0.304, all p < .001), while reward was negatively associated with CgA level (r = -0.237, p < .001). The workers with high effort, overcommitment, or ERI had significantly higher plasma CgA levels, while the workers with high rewards had significantly lower plasma CgA levels. The workers with both high overcommitment and high ERI had highest plasma CgA levels. In the linear regression analysis, after adjustment for confounders, effort, overcommitment, and ERI were respectively positively related to plasma CgA, while reward negatively related to plasma CgA. The associations between work stress and plasma catestatin was not significant. The ratio of CgA and catestatin was associated with work stress. CONCLUSIONS Work stress is associated with plasma CgA which may be play a crucial role on the pathway from chronic work stress to cardiovascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Weimin Dang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Song
- Department of Cardiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Cardiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Weixian Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
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McAuliffe L, Wright BJ, Hazi A, Kinsella GJ. Social support moderates the effect of stress on the cortisol awakening response in dementia family caregivers. Physiol Behav 2021; 240:113532. [PMID: 34289401 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Dementia caregiving has been associated with a range of adverse effects on the physical health of the caregiver. However, the specific mechanisms underlying the relationship between dementia caregiver stress and ill health remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate, using available prospective data, the relationship between perceived stress (burden) and pre-clinical indices of ill-health (cortisol awakening response and secretory immunoglobulin A) amongst dementia caregivers. The potential moderating effect of social support on the perceived stress-physiological stress/health relationship was also explored. Participants (N = 31) were caregivers of community-dwelling older adults living with dementia who were enroled in a psychoeducation support program and provided data (study questionnaire and saliva samples) at two timepoints (T1 and T2), 10 weeks apart. Hierarchical regressions were used to determine if changes in stress and social support predicted change in each of the physiological outcomes. Findings indicate that caregivers with more hours of care at T1, or with greater satisfaction with social support, were more likely to exhibit an adaptive cortisol awakening response at T2. Moreover, social support was found to buffer the effect of caregiver stress and hours of caregiving on the cortisol awakening response. Implications for future interventions targeting caregiver health are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda McAuliffe
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health & Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne Campus Victoria 3086 Australia.
| | - Bradley J Wright
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health & Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne Campus Victoria 3086 Australia.
| | - Agnes Hazi
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health & Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne Campus Victoria 3086 Australia.
| | - Glynda J Kinsella
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health & Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne Campus Victoria 3086 Australia.
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Heckenberg RA, Hale MW, Kent S, Wright BJ. Empathy and job resources buffer the effect of higher job demands on increased salivary alpha amylase awakening responses in direct-care workers. Behav Brain Res 2020; 394:112826. [PMID: 32717375 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The job demands-resources (JD-R) model has rarely been used in conjunction with physiological indicators of stress and ill-health. This study explored the associations between the JD-R model and physiological indicators of the stress response, while considering potential moderators of this relationship. Across 2 timepoints (summer-winter) direct-care workers completed questionnaires assessing job demands, job resources, empathy and self-efficacy, and provided morning saliva samples to assess physiological indices of stress and ill-health. Changes in job resources and empathy were positively correlated with changes in the cortisol awakening response (CAR). Further, changes in both job resources and empathy independently buffered the impact of higher job demands on increased salivary alpha amylase awakening response (sAA-AR) concentrations. These findings suggest that despite increased job demands, the sAA-AR decreased for direct-care workers that had perceived high job resources or who reported higher empathy. Potentially, job resources and empathy may act as a protective factor against the development of poor health associated with workplace stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael A Heckenberg
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Wodonga, Victoria, 3690, Australia
| | - Matthew W Hale
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Stephen Kent
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Bradley J Wright
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia.
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