IMPACT of PHYSICAL and PSYCHOSOCIAL WORKPLACE HAZARDS on EMPLOYEE HEALTH: an IRISH T ALE of CIVIL SERVANT WORKERS Kyle R
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Clemson University TigerPrints All Dissertations Dissertations 5-2014 IMPACT OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WORKPLACE HAZARDS ON EMPLOYEE HEALTH: AN IRISH T ALE OF CIVIL SERVANT WORKERS Kyle R. Stanyar Clemson University Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations Part of the Psychiatry and Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Stanyar, Kyle R., "IMPACT OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WORKPLACE HAZARDS ON EMPLOYEE HEALTH: AN IRISH T ALE OF CIVIL SERVANT WORKERS" (2014). All Dissertations. 1401. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/1401 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IMPACT OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL WORKPLACE HAZARDS ON EMPLOYEE HEALTH: AN IRISH TALE OF CIVIL SERVANT WORKERS ____________________________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University ____________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Industrial-Organizational Psychology ____________________________________ by Kyle R. Stanyar May 2014 ____________________________________ Accepted by: Dr. Robert R. Sinclair, Committee Chair Dr. Patrick Rosopa Dr. Paul Merritt Dr. James McCubbin ABSTRACT Obesity, mental health problems, and absenteeism are both economic and health burdens for employers and employees. Research suggests that physical and psychosocial hazards in the workplace contribute to health risks and health problems among employees. There is a need for researchers to examine how exercise, diet, and age interact with the negative effects of workplace hazards upon health. Hypotheses 1a through 3b predicted that physical and psychosocial workplace hazards would negatively impact body mass index (BMI), general mental health, and sickness absences. Further, hypotheses 4a through 9b predicted that exercise and diet would buffer stress from occupational hazards upon BMI, mental health, and sickness absences. Finally, hypotheses 10a through 11b predicted that age would act as a moderator between occupational hazards and employee health outcomes. A sample of 16, 651 civil servant workers from the Northern Ireland Civil Service Workforce were examined. The data was split into two groups based on salary- senior level pay grade and lower level pay grade. The results confirmed hypotheses 1a, 1b, 3a, 3b, 11a, and 11b for the lower level pay grade, but failed to support hypotheses 2 and 4a through 10b. Additionally, the results confirmed hypotheses 1b for the senior level pay grade; however the results failed to confirm hypotheses 1a and hypotheses 2 through 11b. Importantly, physical activity was related to a lower BMI, improved mental health, and less sickness absences, while a healthy diet was related to a lower BMI for both pay grades. Promoting physical activity and a healthy diet are viable methods for improving employee health. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Several people have played a vital role in helping to complete this dissertation. I am extremely grateful and indebted to each and every one of them. Without their support and guidance I would not have been able to complete this paper. First, I would like to thank my advisor and mentor Dr. Robert Sinclair. Without his support and guidance, my dissertation would not be what it is today. His expertise in Occupational Health Psychology and his high standards for work quality have helped improve my own work. Without his help I would not have made it into graduate school, and I am greatly appreciative of that. In addition to my advisor and mentor, I also have committee members who I deeply respect. Dr. James McCubbin has helped expand my expertise in health psychology and allowed me to apply my knowledge of health psychology to workplace settings. Further, Dr. Paul Merritt has allowed me to gain valuable experience in designing and implementing research studies related to physical fitness. Finally, Dr. Patrick Rosopa has been a great mentor for teaching me statistics and research design. I must also thank Dr. Jonathan Houdmont, who allowed me to use his data for my dissertation. Without the generosity of Dr. Houdmont, I would not have a dissertation at all. I greatly appreciate his generosity. Finally, I want to thank my family and friends for giving me support throughout the years, allowing me to get to this point in my life. I want to especially thank my parents Dave and Susan Stanyar, as well as my sister, who have always supported me in my choice to pursue a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. Thank you! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages TITLE ............................................................................................................................... i ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ iv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1 Obesity ...................................................................................................................... 15 Mental Health ............................................................................................................ 17 Immune System ........................................................................................................ 20 Physiological Process of Stress ................................................................................. 21 Workplace Hazards ................................................................................................... 23 Workplace Hazards and Stress .................................................................................. 25 Physical Hazards and Health .................................................................................... 25 Psychosocial Hazards and Health ............................................................................. 29 The Current Study ..................................................................................................... 32 Workplace Hazards and Obesity ............................................................................... 37 Psychosocial Hazards and Mental Health ................................................................. 41 Physical Hazards and Mental Health ........................................................................ 44 Physical Workplace Hazards and Employee Absences ............................................ 48 Psychosocial Workplace Hazards and Employee Absences ..................................... 53 Physical Activity and Exercise ................................................................................. 57 Diet and Eating Habits .............................................................................................. 59 Health Behaviors and Habit Formation .................................................................... 61 Physical Activity and Stress ...................................................................................... 62 Physical Activity and Obesity ................................................................................... 66 Physical Activity and Mental Health ........................................................................ 70 Physical Activity and Absences Due to Sickness ..................................................... 75 iv Table of Contents (Continued) Pages Diet and Stress .......................................................................................................... 81 Diet and Obesity ....................................................................................................... 83 Diet and Mental Health ............................................................................................. 85 Diet and Sickness Absence ....................................................................................... 88 Aging Workforce ...................................................................................................... 91 Age and BMI ............................................................................................................. 93 Age and Sickness Absence ....................................................................................... 96 CHAPTER 2: METHOD ............................................................................................... 98 Participants ................................................................................................................ 98 Measures ................................................................................................................... 99 Procedures ............................................................................................................... 107 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS ............................................................................................. 110 Data Screening ....................................................................................................... 110 Descriptive Statistics of Measured Variables ........................................................ 110 Correlation Analyses ..............................................................................................