Sun safety knowledge and practice in UK postal delivery workers

Background: Postal delivery workers spend a large proportion of their work time outdoors, placing them at increased risk for skin cancer. To date, no studies have examined occupational sun safety knowledge and practice within this group in the UK. Aims: To describe the occupational sun safety knowledge and practice of UK postal delivery workers and to investigate the association of demographic, personal and occupational factors with knowledge and practice in order to identify potential strategies for improving sun safety in this occupational group. Methods: Postal delivery workers completed a questionnaire that collected data on occupational sun safety knowledge and practice in addition to demographic, personal and workplace characteristics. One-way analysis of variances were applied to assess differences in knowledge and practice by these characteristics. Results: A total of 1153 postal delivery workers completed the questionnaire, a 60% response rate. Thirty three per cent reported receiving sun safety training within the previous 12 months. The majority of respondents reported correct knowledge on three of the six domains and good practice on four of the six behavioural domains. However, only one-fifth of respondents reported wearing sunglasses and ensuring a plentiful intake of water. Knowledge and practice differed significantly according to demographic, personal and workplace characteristics. Conclusions: There is a need to raise the profile of occupational skin cancer in this occupational group and to increase the priority given to occupational sun safety policies alongside targeted and tailored interventions, the effect of which can be evaluated

Stress management competency framework in English policing

Background The UK Health and Safety Executive’s Stress Management Competency Framework and associated questionnaire, the Stress Management Competency Indicator Tool (SMCIT), address line managers’ behaviours across four competency areas. The application in policing remains unexplored. Aims This study profiled English police officers’ perception of their line managers’ competencies in the framework areas. The odds of experiencing poor mental wellbeing and work attitudes associated with having a line manager with a development need on each competency area were tested. Methods Two hundred and sixty-three police officers completed a survey comprising the SMCIT and measures of psychological distress, resilience and work engagement. Bivariate correlations were calculated to identify patterns of relationships between variables. Binary logistic regression analyses tested the odds of psychological distress caseness, low resilience and low work engagement being associated with officers’ perception of their line manager having a development need on the SMCIT criteria. Results Approximately half the participants reported their line manager had a development need on the ‘Managing and Communicating Existing and Future Work’, ‘Managing the Individual Within the Team’ and ‘Reasoning and Managing Difficult Situations’ competencies, and one quarter on the ‘Respectful and Responsible: Managing Emotions and Having Integrity’ competency. Officers’ rating of their line manager having a development need on the four competency areas was associated with up to four-fold elevated odds of each undesirable state. Conclusions The framework competency areas are relevant to English policing and offer a basis for stress reduction interventions targeted at line managers’ behaviours

English rural policing: job stress and psychological distress

Purpose Job stressor exposure is associated with mental health in police officers. Police stress research rarely draws a distinction between urban and rural policing, raising the possibility that stressors specific to the rural context remain unidentified and their implications unknown. This may hinder actions to protect the mental health of those involved in policing rural communities. Design/methodology/approach Among rural policing teams in an English county police force this study used an exploratory sequential mixed method design to (1) identify and quantify exposure to rural policing stressors and (2) examine links between job stressor exposure and psychological distress. Findings Interviews (N = 34) identified three rural policing job stressor themes: (1) job demands, (2) isolation and (3) critical decisions. Survey data (N = 229) indicated significant differences in exposure by rank to demand and critical decision stressors, with police community support officers (PCSOs) reporting lower exposure than officers of constable and sergeant rank. Overall, 44% of respondents reported symptoms of psychological distress indicative of likely minor psychiatric disorder; higher levels of psychological distress were associated with higher stressor exposure across all three job stressor themes for PCSOs and constables and within the job demand theme for sergeants. Originality/value Findings point towards practical actions focussed on resource provision for officers and a research strategy to ameliorate the impact of stressors in English rural policing

Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study

Background: Interventions to promote sun safety in the UK construction sector are warranted given the high incidence of skin cancer attributable to sun exposure relative to other occupational groups. Aims: To evaluate change in sun safety knowledge and practices among construction workers in response to an educational intervention. Methods: A baseline questionnaire was administered, followed by a bespoke sector-specific DVD-based intervention. At 12-month follow-up participants completed a further questionnaire. Results: Analyses were conducted on a sample of 120 workers (intervention group, n = 70; comparison group, n = 50). At follow-up the proportion of intervention group participants that reported correct sun safety knowledge was not significantly greater than at baseline. However, the intervention group demonstrated significant positive change on nine out of ten behavioural measures, the greatest change being use of a shade/cover when working in the sun followed by regularly checking skin for moles or unusual changes. Conclusions: Exposure to this intervention was linked to some specific positive changes in construction workers’ self-reported sun safety practices. These findings highlight the potential for educational interventions to contribute to tackling skin cancer in the UK construction sector. The findings support the development of bespoke educational interventions for other high-risk outdoor worker groups

Using the Job Demands-Resources model to predict burnout in police officers in the UK and the US

The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model has been used in a number of research studies to predict burnout among human service professionals, including police officers. Rates of burnout among police officers can vary widely between countries and types of officers, which necessitates further exploration of the workplace stressors and conditions that impact how and why police officers experience burnout. In this study I will examine data from two samples of police officers, one from the United Kingdom and one from the United States, to explore if certain demands and resources have different weights in contributing to burnout for police officers in different countries. Additionally, police have received significant media and public attention in the United States in recent years, which could be functioning as a unique stressor for police work. Thus, I will include exploratory research questions about officers’ perceptions of community support for police work in the American sample and how those portrayals could further impact burnout and health above and beyond their typical job demands

Occupational health professionals’ knowledge, understanding and use of work ability

BACKGROUND: The concept of work ability (WA) has a 30-year history in Finland, where it has been used extensively in occupational health (OH) research and practice. The extent to which WA has been integrated into UK OH practice is unclear. AIMS: (i) To compare knowledge, understanding and use of WA among OH nurses and physicians in the UK and Finland and (ii) to identify factors that influence the use of WA in Finnish OH practice. METHODS: An online questionnaire administered to OH practitioners in the UK and Finland. RESULTS: A total of 436 UK and 97 Finnish OH practitioners completed the questionnaire. Though familiarity with the term 'work ability' was similar among Finnish and UK respondents, substantial differences were found in understanding of the term. Ninety-five per cent (Finland) and 7% (UK) of respondents reported using the Work Ability Index (WAI), a validated measure of WA, in their practice. Finnish respondents indicated that they used the WAI results primarily for individual case management, understanding population health trends, health promotion and determining WA across age groups. UK respondents primarily attributed failure to use the WAI to lack of training. Primary factors influencing use of WA in Finland included it being considered common practice and an effect ive system by which to conduct individual assessments. CONCLUSIONS: There are large differences between Finland and the UK in the assessment of WA in OH practice. Differences may reflect contrasting OH legislative frameworks

Nurses' illness perceptions during presenteeism and absenteeism

BackgroundPresenteeism has been linked with lost productivity, impaired health and absence. Whilst much research has focused on types of diseases associated with presenteeism and absenteeism, there has been little investigation into the role of individuals’ illness perceptions in these episodes.AimsTo assess how illness perceptions vary between presenteeism and absenteeism episodes.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire was distributed to ward-based nurses working with older adults. Data on illness perceptions during presenteeism and absenteeism episodes were collected. Data were analysed via the Paired-Samples t-test, Wilcoxon test and McNemar test.ResultsTwo hundred and seventy cases were analysed (88% response rate). Compared with presenteeism, illnesses during absenteeism were thought to affect lives more (P ≤ 0.001), to have more serious symptoms (P ≤ 0.001), to be more concerning (P = 0.003), more likely to be treated (P = 0.009), more infectious (P ≤ 0.001) and perceived as more legitimate reasons for absenteeism (P ≤ 0.001). Treatment was considered more effective during absenteeism (P < 0.001), whilst workability was better during presenteeism (P ≤ 0.001). Presenteeism was perceived as harmful and absenteeism beneficial for illness. Individuals attended work when presenteeism was expected to be less harmful (P ≤ 0.001) and avoided work when absenteeism was expected to be more beneficial for illness (P ≤ 0.001).ConclusionsIllness perceptions varied significantly between presenteeism and absenteeism episodes and should be included in models of illness behaviour. Findings also highlight that policy may influence illness behaviour and that nurses may attend work despite concerning levels of illness

Psychosocial work environment and leisure-time physical activity: the Stormont Study

Background: Research findings are equivocal on relations between the psychosocial work environment and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). This might be partly due to studies having focused on a restricted set of psychosocial dimensions, thereby failing to capture all relevant domains. Aims: First, to examine cross-sectional associations between seven psychosocial work environment domains and LTPA in a large sample of UK civil servants. Second, to profile LTPA and consider this in relation to UK government recommendations on physical activity. Method: in 2012, Northern Ireland Civil Service employees completed a questionnaire including measures of psychosocial working conditions (Management Standards Indicator Tool) and LTPA. We applied bivariate correlations and linear regression analyses to examine relations between psychosocial working conditions and LTPA. Results: Of ~26,000 civil servants contacted, 5,235 (20%) completed the questionnaire. Twenty-four per cent of men and 17% of women reported having undertaken ≥30 minutes of physical activity on five or more days in the past week. Job control (-0.08) and peer support (-0.05) were weakly but significantly negatively correlated with LTPA in men. Job role (-0.05) was weakly but significantly negatively correlated with LTPA in women. These psychosocial work characteristics accounted for 1% or less of the variance in LTPA. Conclusions: Longitudinal research to examine cause-effect relations between psychosocial work characteristics and leisure-time physical activity might inform the potential for psychosocial job redesign to increase employees’ physical activity during leisure time

Identification of surgeon burnout via a single-item measure

Background Burnout is endemic in surgeons in the UK and linked with poor patient safety and quality of care, mental health problems, and workforce sustainability. Mechanisms are required to facilitate the efficient identification of burnout in this population. Multi-item measures of burnout may be unsuitable for this purpose owing to assessment burden, expertise required for analysis, and cost. Aims To determine whether surgeons in the UK reporting burnout on the 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) can be reliably identified by a single-item measure of burnout. Methods Consultant (n = 333) and trainee (n = 217) surgeons completed the MBI and a single-item measure of burnout. We applied tests of discriminatory power to assess whether a report of high burnout on the single-item measure correctly classified MBI cases and non-cases. Results The single-item measure demonstrated high discriminatory power on the emotional exhaustion burnout domain: the area under the curve was excellent for consultants and trainees (0.86 and 0.80), indicating high sensitivity and specificity. On the depersonalisation domain, discrimination was acceptable for consultants (0.76) and poor for trainees (0.69). In contrast, discrimination was acceptable for trainees (0.71) and poor for consultants (0.62) on the personal accomplishment domain. Conclusions A single-item measure of burnout is suitable for the efficient assessment of emotional exhaustion in consultant and trainee surgeons in the UK. Administered regularly, such a measure would facilitate the early identification of at-risk surgeons and swift intervention, as well as the monitoring of group-level temporal trends to inform resource allocation to coincide with peak periods

Process evaluation for stressor reduction interventions in sport

Stressor reduction interventions may have the potential to improve the well-being of those involved in sport. Organizational psychologists have used these primary interventions in various performance domains. The authors describe the stressor reduction design and implementation processes, and the contexts in which they occur, that impact on these interventions. The authors then examine how process evaluation methods can be applied during stressor reduction in sport settings. Process evaluation requires the frequent collection of data about intervention experiences and events from multiple sources using a mixed-methods approach. The article contains practical recommendations for sport psychologists who implement stressor reduction interventions