Pandemic Pressure: Race, Job Insecurity, and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the ongoing pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic, the working world has been drastically altered. Additionally, pandemic related pressures are not evenly distributed across racial groups–with negative outcomes being exacerbated as a byproduct of structural inequities for people of color (Seldan & Berdahl, 2020). Using the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983), and Job Insecurity Scale (Ashford et al., 1989), we aimed to determine how various work-related factors such as job insecurity, essential worker status, and race relate to overall perceived stress in daily life. Participants (n = 266; Mage = 50.56 years, SD = 7.83; age range: 18-76 years; 49% white, 51% Black) completed a variety of measures through an online survey collected between mid-April and late May 2021. The results indicated that for white workers who identified as non-essential, and Black workers who identified as essential, increased job insecurity predicted an increase in perceived stress. The results of the study provide a launching point for identifying which demographic groups may need more support in the working world. Black essential workers and white non-essential workers likely would greatly benefit from support, resources, and interventions aiming to reduce workplace stress and improve wellbeing

Framing the Path to Fitness: Age Differences in Response to Framed Exercise Messages

Physical activity is one of the most protective health behaviors one can engage in, yet 75% of active adults in the US, meaning those who exercise regularly, fall short of the recommended levels of physical activity, with an even greater percentage of older adults living inactive lives, meaning they exercise minimally and engage in prolonged sedentary behavior (CDC, 2019). The goal of the current study was to explore different types of message framing targeted at encouraging older and younger adults to exercise. We recruited older adults (n = 184; Mage = 69.45 years, age range: 65- 80 years) and younger adults (n = 233; Mage = 24.74 years, age range: 18-30 years) to read exercise- related messages. Intrapersonal statements emphasized the personal health benefits of exercise (e.g., “Regularly engaging in aerobic exercises will improve your health”). Interpersonal statements emphasized the social benefits of exercise (e.g., “Regularly exercising will increase the quality of your social interactions”). For each statement, participants indicated: (1) their feelings about the statement, (2) their perceived effectiveness of the statement in motivating them to exercise, and (3) their exercise intentions. Results indicated that both age groups felt more positively, expressed greater perceived effectiveness, and reported higher exercise intentions for the intrapersonal relative to interpersonal statements. Interestingly, the difference was larger for older relative to younger adults, suggesting that emphasizing health versus social benefits mattered slightly more for older relative to younger adults. The findings from the current work shed light on how to motivate older and younger adults to exercise and could be used by researchers and practitioners designing exercise intervention