How Do Health and Social Networks Compare between Low-Income Multiproblem Households and the General Population?

Quality of Life and Associated Factors in Young Workers

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to identify the factors associated with the quality of life of young workers of a Social Work of Industry Unit.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 1270 workers. Data were collected using a digital questionnaire built on the KoBoToolbox platform that included the EUROHIS-QOL eight-item index to assess quality of life. Demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and clinical variables were considered explanatory. The associations were analyzed using the ordinal logistic regression model at a 5% significance level.

RESULTS

Men and women had a mean quality of life of 31.1 and 29.4, respectively. Workers that rated their health as "very good" had an odds ratio of 7.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.17-10.81), and those who rated it as "good" had an odds ratio of 2.9 (95% CI = 2.31-3.77). Both these groups of workers were more likely to have higher levels of quality of life as compared to workers with "regular", "poor", or "very poor" self-rated health. Physically active individuals were 30% more likely to have higher levels of quality of life (odds ratio = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.08-1.65). After adjusting the model by gender, age group, marital status, socioeconomic class, self-rated health, nutritional status, and risky alcohol consumption, the odds ratio of active individuals remained stable (odds ratio = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.05-1.66).

CONCLUSIONS

In the present study, self-rated health, physical activity, and gender were associated with young workers' quality of life.

Reasons for (not) participating in a community-based health promotion program for low-income multi-problem households in the Netherlands: A qualitative study

People living in low-income multi-problem households may benefit from participation in a community-based health promotion program. Yet, low participation rates are often a problem. It is important to assess reasons for (not) participating to better tailor programs to the needs of this particular at-risk group. Back2Balance is a health promotion program for low-income multi-problem households from Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. We performed qualitative interviews among participants (n = 16) and non-participants (n = 12) of the program and asked them for their reasons for (not) participating in the program. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed using the Framework method. Participants indicated that reasons for participating encompassed intrapersonal motivators (e.g. to become healthier), interpersonal motivators (e.g. participating to get to know new people) and program level motivators (e.g. learning about a healthy lifestyle, and free or very low cost). Participants and non-participants outlined the importance of intrapersonal barriers (e.g. physical health problems), interpersonal barriers (e.g. family circumstances) and program level barriers (e.g. logistic issues, and not understanding or knowing about some part of the program). Concluding, combining health promotion with social interaction motivated participants to participate in the Back2Balance program. Yet, both participants and non-participants experienced many barriers for participation, some of which were related to their multi-problem situation.