Life contexts among patrolling police officers in the European Union, investigating environmental characteristics and health - A protocol for a scoping review and a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The police officer occupation is a high-risk profession, with significantly more traumatic and stressful events than other occupations. Key factors for the health of police officers have been found to be related to intra-interpersonal, occupational, and organizational factors. However, the mechanisms underlying why is inconclusive. This protocol therefore intends to explain the approach for conducting both a scoping review, and systematic review. The overall aim of the reviews is to investigate patrolling police officers' life contexts with the intention to identify barriers and resources that affect their lifestyle and health.

METHODS

The protocol is reported according to the PRISMA-P guidelines, with PROSPERO number: CRD42020190583. Searches will be carried out in SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed, OpenGrey, and EBSCO (Academic Search Premiere, APA PsychINFO, CINAHL, SocINDEX). Two independent raters will screen articles and conduct the critical appraisal. Analyses include Arksey and O'Malley's methodology for the scoping review, and a narrative synthesis for the systematic review, including critically appraising the total body of evidence in the systematic review.

DISCUSSION

The purpose of the reviews is to understand patrolling police officers' life contexts, and support future development of an assessment that measures patrolling police officers' life balance from a contextual viewpoint.

Relationship of Momentary Volition to Occupational Experience and Life Perspective in Undergraduate Students

Our lives are comprised of moment-to-moment activities and experiences. According to the Model of Human Occupation, our occupational experiences can be affected by volition, which consists of personal causation, values, and interests. This study investigated how momentary volition could affect activity satisfaction and mind-wandering while performing occupations. This study also examined the relationship of momentary volition with overall life perspectives on life satisfaction and life balance. Undergraduate students participated in this cross-sectional study. The experience sampling method (ESM), which repeatedly collects real-time data in everyday life, was applied in this study to measure students' momentary states such as activity, volition, activity satisfaction, and mind-wandering. After completing the ESM, participants' life satisfaction and life balance were measured using the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and the Life Balance Inventory (LBI), respectively. Forty-two participants and 1092 sampling data points were included in the analysis. At the event level, regression analysis was performed to identify volition elements to contribute to activity satisfaction and mind-wandering. At the personal level, correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship of momentary volition to life satisfaction and life balance. Momentary personal causation, values, and interests contributed to activity satisfaction. Mind-wandering was predicted negatively by interests but positively by personal causation. Momentary interests were positively correlated with SWLS and LBI scores. This study demonstrated that momentary volition was associated with activity satisfaction and engagement, as well as life satisfaction and balance in undergraduate students. Momentary volition, especially interests, contributed to positive occupational experiences and life perspectives. This study suggests that occupational therapy practitioners need to consider momentary interests to provide occupation-centered interventions for undergraduate students.

How police officers juggle work, a life partner, and kids

Police officers frequently encounter stressful social situations during their working days. Furthermore, previous research on policing and families show that police officers' families are impacted in different ways when at least one member of the family has the role of a police officer. Despite work spilling over to family life there is currently little research on police officers' role-balancing. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore and describe the challenges that arise at the intersection between police officers' professional roles and their private life roles as parents and life partners, as well as how police officers balance these roles in between. We used qualitative content analysis after interviewing 13 uniformed police officers. The findings show how the police officers' professional roles affect their private life roles within three different sub-themes and are summarized under the theme of "Balancing conflicting roles: Coping with professional and private life commitments". The theme revolves around the various challenges of working as a uniformed police officer, such as hypervigilance and risks, as well as the enrichments and conflicts of working shifts while also juggling private life roles. The results also touch on gender and equality in life-partner relationships. The study raises an important question about how these challenges can be mitigated within Police authorities to enable uniformed police officers to balance their professional and personal lives in a healthy and sustainable manner.

A systematic review of lifestyle and health among patrolling police officers

BACKGROUND

The police profession is a high-strain and high-risk profession, sometimes resulting in poor physical, mental and social health. This systematic review aims to identify and describe crucial areas for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle among patrolling police officers in Europe, an area not previously studied.

METHODS

The review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. A protocol was published and registered with PROSPERO beforehand. Searches were carried out in eight databases. Two independent authors screened articles and critically appraised the included studies. A narrative synthesis was conducted to analyse the results. The review's total body of evidence was assessed with GRADE-CERQaul.

RESULTS

A total of 16 articles were located, representing 13 studies. Barriers and resources for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle were linked to a theoretical framework of life balance. Subsequently, a linkage model was created to explain different aspects of patrolling police officers' life balance and its relation to health (physical, social and mental).

CONCLUSIONS

Several crucial areas for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle were found and described, indicating that patrolling officers' working life affects their possibilities of living a balanced lifestyle, which might disturb different aspects of health, depending on which aspect is compromised.

Balance in life as a prerequisite for community-dwelling older adults' sense of health and well-being after retirement: an interview-based study

Purpose

This study aimed to describe community-dwelling older adults’ perceptions of health and well-being in life after retirement.

Methods

This study is part of a larger project using a mixed-methods design to address lifestyles’ influence on community-dwelling older adults’ health. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 older adults in age 70 to 95 years. Data were analysed according to a phenomenographic approach.

Results

The results encompass four categories describing variations in community-dwelling older adults’ perceptions of health and well-being after retirement: feeling well despite illness and disease, interacting with and being useful for oneself and others, independently embracing opportunities and engaging in life, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Conclusions

The absence of illness and disease is not a clear prerequisite for a sense of health and well-being. To promote and preserve health and well-being after retirement, older adults strived for—and coached themselves to uphold—a balance in life, focusing on not burdening others. This life orientation after retirement must be acknowledged by society at large, especially from an ageist perspective, and in health and social care to preserve and promote health and well-being.

Perceived occupational balance in people with stroke

BACKGROUND

The balance of activities in daily life can become disrupted after a stroke; however, previous research has mainly focused on the performance of daily activities. Therefore, it is important to understand the impact that stroke has on various aspects of balance in activities for working-age people.

PURPOSE

To describe how persons with stroke perceived their occupational balance and to explore whether occupational balance was associated with the severity of disability, fatigue and sociodemographic characteristics.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 63 working-age persons with stroke. The Occupational Balance Questionnaire, Glasgow Outcome Scale and Fatigue Severity Scale were used and analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

The majority of participants disagreed or strongly disagreed that they perceived occupational balance in most of the investigated aspects. Moreover, few significant associations were found between total summed occupational balance and injury and sociodemographic characteristics.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate the importance of considering occupational balance in the rehabilitation of persons with stroke to support their engagement in a variety of meaningful activities that contribute to health.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONRehabilitation need to support persons with stroke to monitor their entire patterns of activities and perceived balance to support wider engagement in meaningful activities and promote health.Balance between all kinds of activities in daily life besides work, needs to be considered in the later phase of rehabilitation in persons with stroke.A majority of the participants with stroke in this study disagreed that they had a satisfying level of occupational balance.Perceived balance between all activities in daily life can together with performance of activities add to the understanding of consequences after stroke.

Perceived occupational balance and well-being among people with mental illness living in two types of supported housing

Background: People with psychiatric disabilities often struggle with maintaining a satisfying occupational balance. Knowledge about factors of relevance for occupational balance in this group is therefore vital for improving their support.Aim: The aim was to describe perceptions of occupational balance among people with psychiatric disabilities living in supported housing (SH) or in own flat/house with housing support (OHS). Potential importance of housing context and socio-demographic, well-being and recovery factors for occupational balance was also explored.Methods: Participants from SH (N = 155) and OHS (N = 111) responded to questionnaires about sociodemographic situation, well-being (self-rated health, life satisfaction and self-mastery), personal recovery and occupational balance (work, leisure, home chores, self-care and general balance assessed by SDO-OB).Results: A majority in both groups reported being in balance regarding all five domains of occupational balance. The OHS group reported being more under-occupied for home chores and self-care. Self-mastery was the most important contributor in both groups in the domains of work, domestic chores and self-care. Day center attendance was vital for general occupational balance.Conclusion: Both groups generally perceived occupational balance. Control over one's life situation and possibilities for regularly participating in occupations outside the home environment should receive high priority in housing support.

Psychometric properties of the Flemish version of the life balance inventory: a patient-reported outcome measure in the chronic stage after stroke

Purpose: To investigate test-retest reliability, measurement error, and convergent validity of the Flemish version of the Life Balance Inventory (Fl-LBI) in chronic community-dwelling stroke survivors.Methods: Stroke survivors living at home (>6 months post-stroke) were recruited. The Fl-LBI was administered twice (1st home-visit, 2nd postal), with a 1-week time interval.Results: Thirty-two stroke-survivors participated: median age 61 years (IQR: 54-67), median time since stroke 571 days (IQR: 433-734). Median total Fl-LBI score was 2.47(IQR: 2.18-2.80) out of 3 on the first occasion (n = 32) and 2.55(IQR: 2.35-2.77) on the second occasion (n = 29), 91% retention rate. The intraclass correlation coefficient [95% confidence interval] for total Fl-LBI score was 0.88 [0.77-0.94] and for subscale scores >0.74 [0.48-0.94] indicating moderate to good test-retest reliability. Standard error of measurement was 0.14 out of 3(7%) and minimal detectable difference 0.39(20%). Agreement for activity category scores ranged from moderate to excellent. Construct validity was supported by moderate associations between Fl-LBI and participation (r_s = 0.46); mobility (r_s = 0.36) and emotion (r_s = 0.37) subscales of the Stroke Impact Scale.Conclusion: In a pilot sample, the FL-LBI has satisfactory test-retest reliability, acceptable measurement error and minimal detectable difference and acceptable convergent validity. It can be used in clinical practice and research to assess life balance in chronic community-dwelling stroke survivors.Implications for rehabilitationLife balance can be a useful concept in stroke rehabilitation; it corresponds to individuals' perception of having a satisfying activity pattern tailored to their life circumstances.The Flemish version of the Life Balance Inventory can be used to evaluate life balance in community-dwelling chronic stroke.Satisfactory test-retest reliability and acceptable measurement error and minimal detectable difference were demonstrated in a pilot sample for the Flemish version of the Life Balance Inventory.

Reframing our pursuit of life balance

During our time in the 2013 Academic Leadership Fellows Program, we explored what it takes to achieve life balance through a framework presented in a Harvard Business Review article. In this Statement, we describe 5 different areas from the article that provide infrastructure for reflecting on how we have learned to approach life balance in academia. We also provide brief messages based on this reading and others to help academics' pursuit of life balance.