| 1. |
- Folkesson, Lisa, et al.
(author)
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Economic vulnerability and adolescent health : Fragile family finances and health functioning among Swedish adolescents
- 2010
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In: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. - : Springer. ; , s. S275-S275
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: While adult health is known to vary by socioeconomic status (SES) and gender, less is known about the linkages between socioeconomic circumstances and various aspects of health in adolescents. Aim: This study set out to investigate how household financial insecurity relates to different aspects of health in adolescent girls and boys aged 10-18. Method: Data came from the Swedish Child LNU and Child-Ulf studies of 2000-2003 that include approximately 5400 children aged 10-18 who answered questions relating to health. Parents were also asked to report "cash-margin" a frequently used single-item measure asking whether parents can access 12,000 SEK in a week's time if they have to. Results: A majority, 85% of the parents were able to access 12,000 SEK in a week if necessary while 15% were unable to do so. Analyses performed separately for girls and boys showed significant main effects of cash margin on somatic health, negative functioning and positive functioning for both groups. There was no significant age x cash margin interactions. Cash margin was significantly related to stomach ache, insomnia, difficulties concentrating, irritability, short temperedness, sadness, tension/nervousness, belief in the future, endurance and happy mood in both girls and boys. Girls with no cash margin reported more headache while boys with no cash margin reported higher levels of self-assurance. No other significant relationships emerged. Discussion: While most previous studies use symptom and problem indices, this study covers multiple aspects of health functioning. To conclude, fragile family finances during adolescence as reflected in poor positive functioning and high levels of negative functioning suggest stressful living conditions that may influence academic achievement, life-choices and future health.
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| 2. |
- Hasson, Dan, et al.
(author)
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Self-rated Health and Allostatic Load in Women Working in Two Occupational Sectors
- 2009
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In: Journal of Health Psychology. - : Sage Publications. - 1359-1053 .- 1461-7277. ; 14:4, s. 568-577
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study set out to investigate how biological dysregulation, in terms of allostatic load (AL), relates to selfrated health (SRH) in women. Data on SRH and 12 biomarkers used to assess AL were available for 241 employees from the health care sector and 98 employees from the IT/media sector. In line with the hypothesis, results showed that a poor SRH, along with occupational sector, age and education, were significantly associated with a high AL, particularly for those working withinthe health care sector. This association between a poor SRH and AL, suggests a link between SRH and biological dysregulation.
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| 3. |
- Nylén, Eva Charlotta, et al.
(author)
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A pilot-study of a worksite based participatory intervention program : Its acceptability and short-term effects on work climate and attitudes in human service employees
- 2017
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In: Work. - : IOS Press. - 1051-9815 .- 1875-9270. ; 56:4, s. 625-636
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors, including job demands and poor resources, have been linked to stress, health problems, and negative job attitudes. However, worksite based interventions and programs targeting psychosocial factors may change employees’ perceptions of their work climate and work attitudes.OBJECTIVE: This pilot study describes a newly developed worksite based participatory organizational intervention program that was tested in the social service sector. It is evaluated using participants’ perceptions of the intervention to investigate its acceptability as a feature of feasibility and its short-term effects on work climate factors (job demands and resources) and work-related attitudes.METHODS: Forty employees of a Swedish social service unit provided self-reports before, during, and after the intervention.RESULTS: As for effects, quantitative role overload and social support decreased while turnover intention increased. Responses to an open-ended question showed that participants considered the intervention program valuable for addressing issues relating to the psychosocial work climate.CONCLUSIONS: Although the findings are preliminary, it was possible to carry out this worksite based participatory organizational program in this particular setting. Also, the preliminary findings underscore the challenges associated with designing and implementing this type of intervention program, thus adding to the methodological discussion on implementation and evaluation.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, Claes, et al.
(author)
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Academic self-efficacy : Associations with self-reported COVID-19 symptoms, mental health, and trust in universities' management of the pandemic-induced university lockdown
- 2022
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In: Journal of American College Health. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0744-8481 .- 1940-3208.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To investigate perceived changes in academic self-efficacy associated with self-reported symptoms of COVID-19, changes in mental health, and trust in universities’ management of the pandemic and transition to remote education during lockdown of Swedish universities in the spring of 2020. Methods: 4495 participated and 3638 responded to self-efficacy questions. Associations were investigated using multinomial regression. Results: Most students reported self-experienced effects on self-efficacy. Lowered self-efficacy was associated with symptoms of contagion, perceived worsening of mental health and low trust in universities’ capacity to successfully manage the lockdown and transition to emergency remote education. Increased self-efficacy was associated with better perceived mental health and high trust in universities. Conclusion: The initial phase of the pandemic was associated with a larger proportion of students reporting self-experienced negative effects on academic self-efficacy. Since self-efficacy is a predictor of academic performance, it is likely that students’ academic performance will be adversely affected.
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| 5. |
- Rafi, Jonas, 1985-
(author)
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A Workplace Prevention Program for Problem Gambling
- 2023
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Gambling is an activity that may involve harm for the gambler and others close to the gambler. Since workplaces may be negatively affected by employees who gamble during work or are at-risk problem gamblers, this setting has been proposed as a suitable arena for prevention. However, the potential effects of such initiatives have not been evaluated. This thesis explored the effects of a workplace prevention program for problem gambling. The program comprised gambling policy development and skill development training for managers.Study I used pre-intervention measures to explore gambling characteristics of employees (n=3629) in ten organizations, including both private and public sector organizations, and blue- and white-collar workers. About one in 20 employees knew someone who gambled during work, and this proportion was similar for both managers and subordinates. Another finding was that 3.5% of respondents were categorized as at-risk problem gamblers, with a higher prevalence among subordinates (3.8%) than managers (1.3%). A third finding was that 11.4% of employees stated that the organization had a gambling policy, and that this did not differ between managers and subordinates. Gambling policy knowledge was considerably lower than alcohol policy knowledge, as an alcohol policy was believed to exist by 94.3% of managers and 63.3% of subordinates. Lastly, in regression analyses, the two outcomes “knowing about a colleague who gambles during work” and “at-risk/problem gambling” were associated with each other, male gender, and young age. Taken together, the findings offer evidence that gambling may be an important topic to target in workplace settings, although more research is needed to pinpoint specific workplace harms and whether certain gambling types are associated with more workplace harms than others.Study II used a cluster-randomized design to investigate the effects of a prevention program. Ten organizations were randomized to an intervention group or a waitlist group. Individuals who were employed on any of three measurement occasions were eligible to participate. A total of n=490 (response rate 73%) managers and n = 4146 (response rate 43.3%) subordinates participated in the study by providing informed consent and responding to the survey at least once. The prevention program included two main components: policy development and skill development training for managers. The main outcome was managers’ inclination to act when worried about an employee regarding gambling or other harmful use (e.g., alcohol), together with a range of secondary outcome measures. The results showed that managers who participated in the skill development training significantly increased their inclination to act compared to the waitlist group, but this finding was not generalized to the whole intervention group. Thus, including managers in the intervention group who did not participate in the skill development training when calculating intervention effects resulted in non-significant effects. The results of secondary outcome measures showed that there were significant intervention effects regarding managers’ knowledge of a gambling policy, their confidence in how to act when concerned about an employee’s possible problem gambling or other harmful use, and the proportion of managers who had acted to provide support. Study III included semi-structured interviews with skill development participants (n=23) to inquire about their experiences of the prevention program. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis, which yielded six distinct themes related to the participants, namely: 1) their expectations, 2) aspects of the skill development training they appreciated, 3) their experiences of PG, 4) their proposed areas of improvement, 5) whether they felt they had received a good basis for PG and other harmful use, and 6) their thoughts about the so-called “difficult conversation”. Taken together, the findings provide ideas for improving gambling-specific interventions for the workplace and corroborate earlier research findings on workplace interventions in general.To conclude, the thesis shows that a workplace preventive intervention for gambling can have positive effects on managers’ intended and performed actions to help an employee who they suspect has a problem with gambling or other harmful use. However, further program improvements and in-depth studies are needed to draw conclusions on explanations, robustness, and mechanisms of change.
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| 6. |
- Berman, Anne H., Professor, et al.
(author)
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Compliance with recommendations limiting COVID-19 contagion among university students in Sweden : associations with self-reported symptoms, mental health and academic self-efficacy
- 2022
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 1403-4948 .- 1651-1905. ; 50:1, s. 70-84
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aims: The COVID-19 containment strategy in Sweden uses public health recommendations relying on personal responsibility for compliance. Universities were one of few public institutions subject to strict closure, meaning that students had to adapt overnight to online teaching. This study investigates the prevalence of self-reported recommendation compliance and associations with self-reported symptoms of contagion, self-experienced effects on mental health and academic self-efficacy among university students in Sweden in May–June 2020.Methods: This was a cross-sectional 23 question online survey in which data were analysed by multinomial regression, taking a Bayesian analysis approach complemented by null hypothesis testing.Results: A total of 4495 students consented to respond. Recommendation compliance ranged between 70% and 96%. Women and older students reported higher compliance than did men and younger students. Mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms were reported by 30%, severe symptoms by fewer than 2%; 15% reported being uncertain and half of the participants reported no symptoms. Mental health effects were reported by over 80%, and changes in academic self-efficacy were reported by over 85%; in both these areas negative effects predominated. Self-reported symptoms and uncertainty about contagion were associated with non-compliance, negative mental health effects, and impaired academic self-efficacy.Conclusions: Students generally followed public health recommendations during strict closure of universities, but many reported considerable negative consequences related to mental health and academic self-efficacy. Digital interventions should be developed and evaluated to boost coping skills, build resilience and alleviate student suffering during the pandemic and future similar crises.
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| 7. |
- Blom, Victoria, 1975-
(author)
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Striving for self-esteem : Conceptualizations and role in burnout
- 2011
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- When self-esteem is dependent on competence individuals invest a great deal of effort in their accomplishments in order to validate themselves. The aim of the present thesis was to develop a theoretically sound and valid concept and measure of contingent self-esteem dependent on competence, and examine its vulnerable implications and role in burnout. In Study I a concept and measure of contingent self-esteem dependent on competence, termed competence-based self-esteem (CBSE), was developed. Confirmatory factor analyses showed its distinctiveness from other sources of self-esteem and revealed two dimensions comprising behaviors referring to: i) Self-esteem conditional upon competence and ii) Frustrated self-critical strivings. The new scale showed high reliability and gained both convergent and discriminative validity through different methods in different samples. Study II set out to experimentally test the vulnerable implications of CBSE in a performance situation. The results showed that high, as compared to low, scorers on the scale exhibited stronger physiological reactivity and momentary exertion coupled with frustrated mood. Study III focused on the role of self-esteem contingent on competence in the burnout process and its association with work- and private-life stressors over time in working women and men. The analyses showed that contingent self-esteem was a predictor of burnout. In addition, women scored higher on both contingent self-esteem and burnout and reported higher general life stress than did men, whereas men showed stronger associations between work stressors and burnout. The results of the three studies suggest that contingent self-esteem, where outcomes of one’s acts and performance serve to compensate an impoverished basic self-worth, facilitates the understanding of stress-related vulnerability and ill-health.
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| 8. |
- Fransson, Emma, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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Exploring salivary cortisol and recurrent pain in mid-adolescents living in two homes
- 2014
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In: BMC Psychology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2050-7283. ; 21:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Each year, around 50.000 children in Sweden experience a separation between their parents. Joint physical custody (JPC), where the child alternates homes between the parents for about equal amount of time, has become a common living arrangement after parental separation. Children in two homes could benefit from everyday contact with both parents and access to both parents' financial resources. However, children could experience stress from being constantly moving and potentially exposed to parental conflicts. Still, studies on JPC and biological functioning related to stress, are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate how living arrangements (intact family/JPC) relate to HPA-axis activity and recurrent pain in mid-adolescents.METHODS: Mid-adolescents (106 girls and 51 boys) provided demographic details, self-reports of recurrent pain (headache, stomachache, neck/shoulder and back pain) and salivary samples. Salivary cortisol samples were collected: 1) immediately at awakening, 2) +30 minutes, 3) +60 minutes, and 4) at 8 p.m. The cortisol awakening response (CAR) was computed using an established formula. Additionally, the diurnal decline between the waking and 8 p.m. samples was computed.RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regressions showed that living arrangements (intact family/JPC) was not associated with morning cortisol (CAR), the diurnal cortisol decline or with recurrent pain. However, sex was a significant predictor of both cortisol measures and recurrent pain with girls exhibiting a higher cortisol awakening response and a greater diurnal decline value as well as reporting more recurrent pain than did boys.CONCLUSIONS: Living arrangements were not associated with HPA-axis activity or recurrent pain in this group of well-functioning mid-adolescents. Although this study is the first to investigate how living arrangements relate to HPA-axis functioning and additional studies are needed, the tentative findings suggest that these mid-adolescents have adapted to their living arrangements and that other factors play a more pertinent role for HPA-functioning and subjective health.
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| 9. |
- Gustafsson, Klas, et al.
(author)
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Validation of self-rated recovery items against morning salivary cortisol
- 2009. - 1
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In: Validation and test of central concepts in positive work and organizational psychology. - Köpenhamn : Nordic Council of Ministers. - 9789289319195 ; , s. 54-59
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- To describe the associations between physiology and recovery, reliable methods to measure rest and recovery are needed. One of the most common methods to gain information on rest and recovery is to ask people to provide self-ratings in questionnaires. To determine whether the answers to such questions are associated with health, self-ratings can be evaluated with respect to established biomarkers of physiological functioning, such as cortisol. The findings show that self-ratings of rest and recovery are related to cortisol, particularly to morning cortisol, and that self-ratings provide important information on physiological recovery in terms of cortisol output.
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| 10. |
- Karlson, Björn, et al.
(author)
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Psychosocial work stressors and salivary cortisol
- 2012
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In: The role of saliva cortisol measurement in health and disease. - : Bentham eBooks. - 9781608053421 - 9781608050710 ; , s. 43-66
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This chapter systematically reviews how different measures of salivary cortisol are related to different measures of psychosocial work stress. Divergent findings were scrutinized with respect to study quality and the methods used. Measures of work stress included concepts reflecting those included in the demand–control–support model or the effort–reward–imbalance model. General bibliographic databases (PsychINFO and PubMed) were searched up to September 30, 2009. Two reviewers extracted data on study characteristics and study quality. In total 27 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Cortisol measures were grouped into single time points at different times during the day, deviations at different time periods during the day, reactivity and recovery after a standardized laboratory test, area under the curve from deviations and reactivity measures. A large proportion of the analyses of the associations between cortisol and psychosocial work stressors showed nonsignificant findings. However, of the significant findings, most results showed that a high work stress was associated with high cortisol levels. Significant relationships were evenly distributed across different measures of psychosocial work stress. As regards salivary sampling or statistical analysis, no strategy seemed superior but some strategies have only been used in the past few years. Typically, older studies were of lower quality. Low quality studies tended to have a higher proportion of significant findings which is a reason for concern. The relatively few significant findings may be because many psychosocial work stressors were of mild or moderate intensity and the study groups were rather small and fairly homogeneous, thus variability was too small to reveal any effects. The results indicate a normal, healthy response to work stress in most workers, according to CATS and the Allostatic Load Models.
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