Effect of a Job Demand-Control-Social Support Model on Accounting Professionals' Health Perception

The Effects of Job Demand-control-support Profiles on Presenteeism: Evidence from the Sixth Korean Working Condition Survey

Background

Presenteeism is closely related to work performance, work quality and quantity, and productivity at work. According to the job demand-control-support model, job demand, job control, and support play important roles in presenteeism. The present study investigated job characteristics profiles based on the job demand-control-support model and identify the association between job characteristics profiles and presenteeism.

Methods

This secondary data analysis used the Sixth Korean Working Condition Survey, a nationwide cross-sectional dataset. The study included 25,361 Korean wage workers employed in the workplace with two or more workers. Participants were classified into four job characteristics profiles based on the job demand-control-support model, using latent profile analysis, and logistic regression was performed to examine the association between study variables.

Results

Overall, 11.0 % of study participants reported experience of presenteeism in the past 12 months. Age, sex, location, monthly income, shift work, work hours, health problems, and sleep disturbances were significantly associated with presenteeism. The rate of presenteeism was the highest in the passive isolate group. The passive collective, active collective, and low-stain collective groups had a 23.0%, 21.0%, and 29.0% lower likelihood of experiencing presenteeism, respectively, than the passive isolate group.

Conclusions

The job demand-control-support profiles and the risk of presenteeism were significantly associated. The most significant group that lowered the experience of presenteeism was the low-strain collective group, which had a low level of demand and high levels of control and support. Therefore, we need a policy to reduce job demand and increase job control and support at the organizational and national levels.

Self-rated health (SRH), recovery from work, fatigue, and insomnia among commercial pilots concerning occupational and non-occupational factors

Background

This study investigated associations of self-rated health (SRH), recovery from work, fatigue, and insomnia with working conditions, the psychosocial work environment, lifestyle, and sense of coherence (SOC) among commercial pilots.

Methods

A standardized questionnaire was sent to all pilots in an airline company, of whom 354 (61%) responded. Associations were analyzed via ordinal and logistic regression with mutual adjustment.

Results

Overall, 21.8% of participants reported low SRH, 13.0% reported not recovering from work during their free time, 61.9% experienced fatigue, and 70.6% experienced insomnia symptoms. A high level of demand at work was associated with poor SRH and more fatigue, and low social support at work was associated with insomnia and poorer recovery from work. Habits surrounding exercise and BMI were associated with SRH. Part-time pilots and captains reported experiencing better recovery from work than their counterparts, while female pilots and younger pilots reported less fatigue. Amount of free time after work and the type of airplane operated were associated with experience of insomnia symptoms. Finally, having a strong sense of coherence was protectively associated with all health outcomes.

Conclusion

The psychosocial environment at work is essential for the health of pilots, and a strong sense of coherence can be protective. Occupational conditions may influence recovery from work, fatigue, and insomnia. Moreover, engaging in exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, working part-time, and having more free time after the working day could improve pilots' health.

Association of psychological symptoms with job burnout and occupational stress among coal miners in Xinjiang, China: A cross-sectional study

Objective

The study aimed to investigate the influencing factors of psychological symptoms in relation to job burnout and occupational stress among coal miners in Xinjiang, so as to provide data support for enterprises in an effort to help them identify internal psychological risk factors and improve the mental health of coal miners.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 12 coal mines were selected using the stratified cluster random sampling method and 4,109 coal miners were investigated by means of online electronic questionnaires. The Symptoms Check List-90 (SCL-90), Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory (CMBI), and Job Demand-Control (JDC) model were respectively used to measure the status of psychological symptoms, job burnout, and occupational stress among coal miners. The mediation analysis was performed through structural equation modeling (SEM) by using Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS).

Results

The prevalence of psychological symptoms was higher in the occupational stress group than in the non-occupational stress group, and increased with job burnout (P < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that mild (OR = 1.401, 95% CL: 1.165, 1.685), moderate (OR = 2.190, 95% CL: 1.795, 2.672), or severe levels of burnout (OR = 6.102, 95% CL: 3.481, 10.694) and occupational stress (OR = 1.462, 95% CL: 1.272, 1.679) were risk factors for psychological symptoms in coal miners. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that occupational stress (β = 0.11, P = 0.002) and job burnout (β = 0.46, P = 0.002) had significant positive direct effects on psychological symptoms, and job burnout was an intermediate variable between occupational stress and psychological symptoms.

Conclusion

High levels of job burnout and occupational stress were risk factors for psychological symptoms. Both occupational stress and job burnout had direct effects on psychological symptoms, and occupational stress could also have an indirect effect on coal miners' psychological symptoms through the intermediate variable of job burnout.

Psychological Contract, Self-Efficacy, Job Stress, and Turnover Intention: A View of Job Demand-Control-Support Model

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused enterprises to face more challenges, such as operational management, production and sales management, and human resource management, among other issues. In the context of the global knowledge economy, employees with high knowledge and skills have become an important source of corporate growth and breakthroughs. However, employees may intend to transfer to other companies due to the pressure of the external and internal environments, so the main topic explored by this paper will be the change of employees' turnover intention. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence mechanism that propels the employees' self-efficacy, job stress, and turnover intention, and the moderating effect of transformational leadership. A total of 553 valid responses from several information service companies in China are collected via purposive sampling and used in the data analysis. This study conducts partial least squares structural equation modeling partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze collected data. The results of the path analysis with structural equation modeling show that employees' psychological contracts have a positive impact on the self-efficacy and a negative impact on the job stress. Employees' self-efficacy has a negative impact on job stress and turnover intention; transformational leadership plays a significant moderator in the research framework. Based on research findings, the theoretical and managerial implications are presented.

Work Stressors and Occupational Health of Young Employees: The Moderating Role of Work Adaptability

Work adaptability refers to the work experience, habits, and skills that enable an individual to adapt to current or changing work tasks and situations. It is a coping resource that individuals use to mitigate various types of stress. Adopting the interaction model of work stress, this study investigated 168 young employees in 20 organizations in Zhejiang Province through interview research and a questionnaire survey. The results show that work adaptability has a significant main effect on occupational health. The work adaptability of employees plays a moderating role in the relationship between occupational health and lack of work meaning stress, role conflict stress, interpersonal relationship stress, negative organizational atmosphere stress, and total score of work stressors. Young employees with high work adaptability have worse occupational health under high-level stress situations due to a lack of work meaning. For promoting occupational health in young employees, organizations should have this group of workers complete meaningful jobs or inform them of the importance of their jobs, reduce role conflict, and create a supportive organizational atmosphere. For management, it is imperative to eliminate high-level stress that stems from a lack of work meaning in order to retain young employees with high work adaptability. These findings shed light on how work adaptability helps young employees deal with stress and improve their occupational health. In organizational and self-stress management, it is beneficial to improve employees’ work adaptability continuously as a means of effectively resisting stress and maintaining occupational health.

The Role of Job Resources in the Relationship between Job Demands and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Hospital Nurses in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam

(1) Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the moderating effect of job resources (JR) in the relationship between job demands (JD) and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) among hospital nurses in the Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. (2) Methods: Data were collected via a self-reporting questionnaire administrated to 225 nurses from two hospitals in the Thua Thien Hue province of Vietnam from August to September 2020. The questionnaire included information on musculoskeletal symptoms, JD and JR, and the demographics and job characteristics of participants. The simple moderation analysis was used for data analysis. (3) Results: The findings indicated that 87.6% of nurses had experienced WRMSDs in at least one body region during the previous 12 months, with lower back (65.3%), neck (61.8%), and shoulders (61.8%) being the three most common sites. Physical workloads (PW) and psychological demands (PDs) were significantly correlated with WRMSDs severity (p < 0.05). This study further underlined the moderating role of coworker support (CS) on the relationship between PW and WRMSD severity. WRMSDs severity significantly increased when PW was high alongside a low level of CS. (4) Conclusions: The current study indicated that nurses should be provided with appropriate CS to minimize WRMSDs severity. Furthermore, an intervention program for managing WRMSDs in nurses may involve minimizing physical risk factors and PDs.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Its Related Factors in Nurses Caring for COVID-19 Patients

Background:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that can result from direct or indirect contact with traumatic events. The current study aimed to evaluate PTSD and its related factors in nurses caring for COVID-19 patients.

Materials and Methods:

This study was a descriptive correlational study. Using convenience sampling methods, 395 nurses were enrolled in the study. The study instruments included demographic information, Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and General Health and Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test, t-test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis.

Results:

The mean (SD) age and work experience of the participants were 33.79 (6.74) years and 9.47 (6.47) years, respectively. Most nurses (86.60%) experienced PTSD. Multiple linear regression results showed general health (R² = 0.51, p = 0.001), job insecurity (R² = 0.51, p = 0.042), decision latitude (R² = 0.51, p = 0.037), and high age (R² = 0.51, p = 0.049) to be associated with an increase in PTSD, and having high social support (R² = 0.51, p = 0.043) was associated with a decrease in PTSD in nurses.

Conclusions:

Nurses have experienced high levels of PTSD after the fatal outbreak of COVID-19 disease. Stressful conditions associated with an increased likelihood of this disorder should be identified, and coping skills such as decision latitude (control) and social support should be strengthened to prevent the symptoms of this disorder in nurses.

Accountancy as a Meaningful Work. Main Determinants from a Job Quality and Optimization Algorithm Approach

The primary purpose of the accounting profession is to provide quality information to the market that facilitates the allocation of resources. The context in which it operates must attend to some stressors that can affect the professional’s meaning of the work. Meaningful work (MW) is based on the concept of valuable work and work well done, so it is directly related to the concept of quality at work, which is a constant concern in the accounting profession. The method used to determine meaningful work identifies the set of job quality indexes, as defined by the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), related to the MW. This paper has used an integer programming genetic algorithm (GA) to determine the JQIs and the statistically significant combinations. The findings showed that JQIs, skills development and discretion (SD), and physical environment (PE) positively and intensely relate to MW. Likewise, reduction of the work intensity (WI) and improvement of the social environment (SE) are related in the same direction as the MW. On the other hand, the results showed different indicator weightings depending on the age of the accountants. This paper shows the importance that accountants attribute to professional competence and how, throughout their careers, the JQI that most relate to MW is changing, from a social vision to preferences where the care of personal time also prevails.

Job Stress and Mental Well-Being among Working Men and Women in Europe: The Mediating Role of Social Support

Job stress is one of the most common health issues in many organizations, particularly among women. Moreover, an increase in job stress with low social support may have an adverse effect on mental well-being. This study investigated the mediating role of social support in the relationship between job stress and mental well-being among working men and women in Europe. A cross sectional data set from the 2015 6th European Working Conditions Survey on 14,603 men and 15,486 women from 35 countries in Europe was analyzed. The study applied Hayes process macro 4 modelling technique to estimate the direct, indirect, and total effects of job stress on mental well-being among working adults. The study further used the Hayes process macro 59 model to estimate the gender difference in the mediating effect. The results showed that job stress had a direct negative effect on mental well-being among workers in Europe (β=−0.2352,p<0.05). However, there were significant gender differences in the relationship (β=−0.3729,p<0.05), with women having higher effect size than men (men: β=−3.9129,p<0.05 vs. women: β=−4.2858,p<0.05). Furthermore, the indirect effect showed that social support mediated the relationship of job stress on mental well-being (β=−0.0181, CI: −0.0212−0.0153). Nevertheless, the mediating effect of social support did not differ among men and women. This study provides evidence that job stress has a negative impact on mental well-being among working adults, and social support mediates this relationship. The results highlight the importance of the role of support from colleagues and supervisors at the work place, which may help reduce job stress, and improve mental well-being. Sociological and occupational health researchers should not ignore the role of gender when studying work environment and jobs in general.

Psychosocial Risks and Violence Against Teachers. Is It Possible to Promote Well-Being at Work?

Teaching has been reported to be one of the most stressful occupations, with heavy psychological demands, including the need to develop positive relationships with students and their parents; relationships that, in turn, play a significant role in teachers’ well-being. It follows that the impact of any violence perpetrated by a student or parent against a teacher is particularly significant and represents a major occupational health concern. The present study examines for the first time the influence of the Job Demands-Control-Support Model on violence directed against teachers. Six hundred and eighty-six teachers working in elementary and high schools in north-east Italy completed an online, self-report questionnaire. Our findings reveal the role played by working conditions in determining teachers’ experience of violence: greater job demands are associated with most offense types, whereas the availability of diffused social support at school is associated with lower rates of harassment. Workload should be equally distributed and kept under control, and violence should gain its place in the shared daily monitoring of practices and experiences at school in order to provide a socially supportive work environment for all teachers.

A Pest to Mental Health? Exploring the Link between Exposure to Agrichemicals in Farmers and Mental Health

The current literature acknowledges that occupational exposures can adversely affect mental health. This review seeks to elucidate the current understanding of the effect of agrichemical exposure on mental health in the agricultural sector, including low-dose, chronic pesticide exposure. This scoping review adopted a snowballing and saturation approach. The review highlights inconsistencies in linking poor mental health and pesticide use. While some studies specifically showed that both high- and low-dose pesticide exposure were associated with poor mental health, consistent and rigorous research methods are lacking. The review also proposes terms to delineate exposure types described in the literature. The review outcomes direct efforts to protect the health, wellbeing and safety of farming communities across the globe.