A Retrospective, Epidemiological Review of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Military Population

OBJECTIVE: Examine incidence rates of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in a military population over a tenyear period and whether demographic characteristics differ within the same population. METHODS: Diagnostic data and demographic variables from 23,821 active duty service members between 2006 and 2015 were analyzed from the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database. RESULTS: The incidence rates of new onset cases ranged from .22 (per 1,000 service members) in 2015 to a high of 1.46 (per 1,000 service members) in 2006 for T2DM without complications and .00 (per 1,000 service members) in 2007 to a high of .29 (per 1,000 service members) in 2015 for T2DM with complications. The one-sample chi-square test showed the observed, and expected frequencies differed significantly for all demographic variables tested. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was a significant increase in the diagnosis of T2DM with complications in 2015, the overall downtrend is similar to that of the general US population. Older age and higher rank were more likely to be associated with the diagnosis of T2DM with and without complications, again suggestive of similar trends with the general US population. Continued efforts towards early diagnosis and treatment of these service members are needed to address this problem regarding military readiness

The Impact of Parentification on Adult Health Behaviors and Outcomes

Parentification is a multi-dimensional phenomenon that is often examined as it is occurring to affected members of this population: children. More specifically, adolescents tend to be the primary focus of such research endeavors devoted to areas like mental health and substance use. The literature is ripe with best practices for many disciplines (e.g., social work, psychology, etc.) in service to those impacted by parentification as well as those that are responsible for imparting the parentification experience (i.e., parents). What is less understood is how parentification informs health behavior and outcomes in adulthood, which is the focus of the current research that seeks to further these conversations with a comprehensive extension into specific health behaviors and outcomes as they relate to the experience of parentified adults. An evidence review will occur to 1) identify the gaps in understanding between parentification in adults and specific health behaviors and outcomes and 2) discern to the extent possible which demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, etc.) are of significance to the parentification experience. The review will begin the development of an instrument in which parentification and underrepresented health behaviors and outcomes will be assessed. Results will reveal the gaps in understanding and provide the path forward for future research activities by way of evidence-based instrument development and assessment., which will deepen the existing conversation around the impact of parentification on adult health behavior and outcomes. Parentification is not a new concept, nor is the conversation around it. However, the health impact on adulthood has not been fully explored as it relates to 1) health behaviors like help seeking and self-care and 2) multi-dimensional health outcomes: physical, emotional, social, etc. This endeavor will yield insight that several disciplines and affected populations can use to either strengthen or sustain health behaviors and outcomes

The impact of the availability of school campus resources on students success

Background Student success is a crucial topic in higher education. It includes many aspects such as academic accomplishment, personal developments, professional preparedness, and general well-being. One element that may contribute to student success is the availability of college campus resources. Campus resources consist of a variety of programs and facilities designed to help students succeed academically, socially, and individually. These resources may include academic advising, tutoring centers, libraries, health centers, recreational facilities, transportations, etc.... Previous studies have reported that campus resources have an influence on student achievement including retention rates, academic achievement, and general well-being. However, there is a need for a thorough knowledge of how the availability and use of a wide range of campus resources affects the success of students. With that stated, there is still a gap in knowing the connection between the availability of college campus resources and student achievement, which the current study seeks to address. Methods: A literature review will be conducted to determine the current state of research on college campus resources and student achievement, both individually and collaboratively. A survey will also be done to collect data directly from college students regarding their utilization of campus resources. Results: The results of this study are expected to corroborate the research goal of investigating the link between the availability of college campus resources and student achievement. It is expected that increasing availability and consumption of campus resources would lead to higher levels of student success. Discussion: Despite significant investments made by colleges and universities in providing campus resources, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of how these resources interact to influence student performance. The current study seeks to close this gap by investigating the link between the availability of college campus services and student success outcomes

Firefighter Stress, Anxiety, and Diminished Compliance-Oriented Safety Behaviors: Consequences of Passive Safety Leadership in the Fire Service?

Safety-specific passive leadership has been negatively linked to diminished safety outcomes, including safety behaviors. However, this relationship is not fully understood. Research has not fully examined mediating factors that may be influenced by passive leadership, which then influence safety behaviors. Research among firefighters in this context is particularly absent. As such, this study aimed to examine relationships between safety-specific passive leadership, stress, anxiety, and compliance-oriented safety behavior outcomes among 708 professional firefighters. A path analysis was completed. The hypothesized model fit was very good and hypothesized relationships were confirmed. Safety-specific passive leadership was positively, significantly associated with increased firefighter stress perceptions and stress was positively, significantly associated with anxiety. Anxiety was negatively, significantly associated with both safety compliance and personal protective equipment behavior. This study has implications for researchers and practitioners. The findings emphasize the importance of active leaders in the fire service as passive leadership in the context of safety is distressing, which results in anxiety and ultimately diminished safety behavior outcomes, which could place firefighters at risk for injuries, illness, or death

Distraction culture: The origin story of notification stress

Background: Long gone are the days when procrastination was the sole culprit of poor productivity through the chronic delay of task completion, which has also been linked to a range of stress-related health problems (e.g., headaches, digestive issues, and insomnia). Today’s culture has given rise to the phenomenon of pre-crastination, whereby a technological notification demands and receives immediate attention despite its level of urgency. This propensity to abandon flow and groove is becoming normalized, and the public health impact is currently unknown. These notifications, a seemingly benign cost of technological advances, are setting the stage for a new level of stressor examination. The public health implications are plentiful when examining how people work, interact with technology, and cope in a healthy way. To date, there has been minimal chatter in the literature specific to notification stress, which is both surprising and troubling, especially when the role of technology in society is considered. Method: Workshop participants will be subject to a simulation that mimics an everyday encounter with technological notifications while also attending to various cognitive tasks. A pre-post instrument will be developed and administered to assess perceptions, impact on several wellness dimensions, and overall productivity. Anticipated Results: It is anticipated that data will yield confirmation that technological notifications are indeed impacting productivity. Beyond this, assessments will reveal multi-dimensional impact and inform the path forward for practice and research. Conclusion: While procrastination and pre-crastination are not deemed public health enemy number one, their presence does suggest 1) increased risk of chronic disease and mental health issues; 2) spillover into general health behaviors (e.g., delayed physical activity and screenings); and 3) a lack of coping and motivation. And this workshop will demonstrate this presence while also equipping participants with practical tools for management and coping, which represents a larger call to action

Safety specific transformational leadership, safety motivation and personal protective equipment use among firefighters

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Personal protective equipment (PPE) use, although normally the last line of preferred hazard control, is vital to protecting firefighters. It is vital that research identify factors that positively influence firefighter behaviors associated with PPE use. Data were collected from 742 career firefighters working for metropolitan fire departments in both the eastern and western United States. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the hypothesized model and relationships between safety-specific transformational leadership, safety motivation and effective use of personal protective equipment. Safety-specific transformational leadership was positively associated with firefighter safety motivation and safety motivation was positively associated with personal protective equipment use. There was also a significant direct relationship between safety-specific transformational leadership and personal protective equipment use. Transformational leadership has not been an emphasis in the fire service because of its hierarchical structure and paramilitary-like traditions. Current fire service stakeholders have called for changes in leadership strategies and the overall culture within the fire service. This research provides additional evidence that safety-specific transformational leadership can bolster safety motivation among firefighters and can result in enhanced safety performance, including the proper and effective use of personal protective equipment

Impact of Work Pressure, Work Stress and Work-Family Conflict on Firefighter Burnout

Little research has explored burnout and its causes in the American fire service. Data were collected from career firefighters in the southeastern United States (n = 208) to explore these relationships. A hierarchical regression model was tested to examine predictors of burnout including sociodemographic characteristics (model 1), work pressure (model 2), work stress and work–family conflict (model 3) and interaction terms (model 4). The main findings suggest that perceived work stress and work–family conflict emerged as the significant predictors of burnout (both p \u3c .001). Interventions and programs aimed at these predictors could potentially curtail burnout among firefighters

A Retrospective, Epidemiological Review of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Military Population

OBJECTIVE: Examine incidence rates of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in a military population over a tenyear period and whether demographic characteristics differ within the same population. METHODS: Diagnostic data and demographic variables from 23,821 active duty service members between 2006 and 2015 were analyzed from the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database. RESULTS: The incidence rates of new onset cases ranged from .22 (per 1,000 service members) in 2015 to a high of 1.46 (per 1,000 service members) in 2006 for T2DM without complications and .00 (per 1,000 service members) in 2007 to a high of .29 (per 1,000 service members) in 2015 for T2DM with complications. The one-sample chi-square test showed the observed, and expected frequencies differed significantly for all demographic variables tested. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was a significant increase in the diagnosis of T2DM with complications in 2015, the overall downtrend is similar to that of the general US population. Older age and higher rank were more likely to be associated with the diagnosis of T2DM with and without complications, again suggestive of similar trends with the general US population. Continued efforts towards early diagnosis and treatment of these service members are needed to address this problem regarding military readiness

Stress, burnout and diminished safety behaviors: An argument for Total Worker Health® approaches in the fire service

© 2020 Introduction: Firefighting is stressful work, which can result in burnout. Burnout is a safety concern as it can negatively impact safety outcomes. These impacts are not fully understood within the fire service. Further, the fire service needs support that safety strategies are needed to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of firefighters. Methods: Structural equation modeling was completed to examine a hypothesized model that linked stress and burnout to diminished safety behavior outcomes among a sample of career firefighters. Results: Findings support a full mediation model. Firefighter stress perceptions were positively associated with burnout and burnout was negatively associated with safety compliance behavior, personal protective equipment behavior, safe work practices, and safety citizenship behavior. Conclusions: These results illustrate the negative impact of health impairment on firefighter safety behaviors. Practical Applications: These outcomes suggest that interventions aimed at protecting and promotion firefighter health are needed. Total Worker Health® (TWH) approaches may provide the framework for these interventions

Occupational Stress and Burnout in the Fire Service: Examining the Complex Role and Impact of Sleep Health

The occupational stress inherent in firefighting poses both physiological and psychological risks to firefighters that have been found to possess a reciprocal nature. That is, the nature of these relationships in terms of indicator and impact are elusive, especially as it relates to sleep health (e.g., quality, quantity, hygiene, etc.) as a specific physiological risk and burnout as a specific psychological risk. A series of mediation models were assessed to examine the reciprocal relationships between occupational stress, burnout, and sleep health in a sample of 161 career firefighters. The mediation models confirmed reciprocity among the variables in so much that relationships were best described by the underlying mechanism at work. Comprehensive assessments of both subjective and objective markers of sleep health should be incorporated into firefighter research to supplement behavioral health assessments and interventions, especially related to burnout and occupational stress