The mandates for government-owned enterprises (parastatals) have drastically changed in light of the changes in the government's post-democratic dispensation. There are more pressures and obligations related to governance, business operations, sustainability and financial viability prescribed for these institutions. Parastatals have moved from fully utilising government subsidies and incurring more debts at the expense of government, to income-generating entities. This change has exposed parastatals to global challenges, experienced by all organisations related to human capital management. Employees are the most critical assets that assist organisations to fulfil their mandates and drive their competitive advantage. While organisations experience challenges and pressures in the market, employees are also positively and adversely affected, depending on their dispositions and general functioning. The extent of employee participation and involvement in their work roles impacts on the success of the institution. Thus, work-related well-being of employees is an integral part of any organisational functioning and this relates to interplay between constructs of job demands, job resources, psychological conditions at work, health, work engagement, self-efficacy and organisational commitment. The general objective of this research was to study work engagement and its relationship with various other antecedents, mediators and outcomes of employees within a parastatal in the South African context. Furthermore, the study aimed to understand the relationships between factors of job demands, job resources, psychological conditions, self-efficacy and work engagement. In addition to the above, this study also aimed to determine relationships between psychological conditions, job demands, job resources, work engagement, self-efficacy, health and organisational commitment. The findings are presented in three articles, each consisting of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study included 288 participants in a parastatal in different job categories and levels. The questionnaires used in the empirical study comprised of the Work Engagement Scale, the Antecedents Scale, the Job Demands-Re sources Scale, the Organisational Commitment Questionnaire, the Psychological Conditions Questionnaire, the Self-Efficacy Scale, the General Health Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire. Exploratory factor analyses were carried out to determine the construct validity of the measuring instruments. Pearson-product moment correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationships between the variables, while multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the predictive value of factors on each other. The results showed that psychological meaning fulness and psychological availability were significant predictors of work engagement, with person-environment fit and growth opportunities in the job as strongest predictors of psychological meaningfulness. Person-environment fit was the strongest predictor of work engagement and psychological availability was best predicted by physical resources. Overload and psychological meaningfulness were the best predictors of work engagement. Growth opportunities in the job and organisational support were the best predictors of psychological meaningfulness, which also strongly predicted work engagement. Psychological availability was found to be positively related to organisational support and self-efficacy. Low psychological availability predicted physical and psychological ill health, while low psychological meaningfulness predicted psychological ill health. Work engagement was the strongest predictor of normative and affective commitment, while psychological meaningfulness strongly predicted normative commitment. Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The mandates for government-owned enterprises (parastatals) have drastically changed in light of the changes in the government's post-democratic dispensation. There are more pressures and obligations related to governance, business operations, sustainability and financial viability prescribed for these institutions. Parastatals have moved from fully utilising government subsidies and incurring more debts at the expense of government, to income-generating entities. This change has exposed parastatals to global challenges, experienced by all organisations related to human capital management. Employees are the most critical assets that assist organisations to fulfil their mandates and drive their competitive advantage. While organisations experience challenges and pressures in the market, employees are also positively and adversely affected, depending on their dispositions and general functioning. The extent of employee participation and involvement in their work roles impacts on the success of the institution. Thus, work-related well-being of employees is an integral part of any organisational functioning and this relates to interplay between constructs of job demands, job resources, psychological conditions at work, health, work engagement, self-efficacy and organisational commitment. The general objective of this research was to study work engagement and its relationship with various other antecedents, mediators and outcomes of employees within a parastatal in the South African context. Furthermore, the study aimed to understand the relationships between factors of job demands, job resources, psychological conditions, self-efficacy and work engagement. In addition to the above, this study also aimed to determine relationships between psychological conditions, job demands, job resources, work engagement, self-efficacy, health and organisational commitment. The findings are presented in three articles, each consisting of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study included 288 participants in a parastatal in different job categories and levels. The questionnaires used in the empirical study comprised of the Work Engagement Scale, the Antecedents Scale, the Job Demands-Re sources Scale, the Organisational Commitment Questionnaire, the Psychological Conditions Questionnaire, the Self-Efficacy Scale, the General Health Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire. Exploratory factor analyses were carried out to determine the construct validity of the measuring instruments. Pearson-product moment correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationships between the variables, while multiple regression analyses were used to investigate the predictive value of factors on each other. The results showed that psychological meaning fulness and psychological availability were significant predictors of work engagement, with person-environment fit and growth opportunities in the job as strongest predictors of psychological meaningfulness. Person-environment fit was the strongest predictor of work engagement and psychological availability was best predicted by physical resources. Overload and psychological meaningfulness were the best predictors of work engagement. Growth opportunities in the job and organisational support were the best predictors of psychological meaningfulness, which also strongly predicted work engagement. Psychological availability was found to be positively related to organisational support and self-efficacy. Low psychological availability predicted physical and psychological ill health, while low psychological meaningfulness predicted psychological ill health. Work engagement was the strongest predictor of normative and affective commitment, while psychological meaningfulness strongly predicted normative commitment. Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Type D personality, or distressed personality, refers to the joint tendency to experience negative emotions and to inhibit self-expression in social interactions. The overall aims of this thesis were to examine the impact of Type D personality on adolescents’ self-perceived health, to examine the factorial and temporal stability of the Type D personality construct DS14, and to clarify whether type D personality is an independent risk factor for recurrent myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality among patients with myocardial infarction. The prevalence of Type D personality in the adolescent population was 10.4% for boys and 14.6% for girls. Boys and girls with Type D personality were approximately twice as likely to report musculoskeletal pain and five times as likely to report psychosomatic symptoms. Adolescents with Type D personality were four times more likely to have sleep disturbances and to sleep fewer hours, especially on school nights. Among patients with myocardial infarction, the Swedish DS14 had stable structural validity. Our measurements confirmed the two-factor model of the DS14. However, the DS14 exhibited low temporal stability, especially when comparing the measurement obtained during hospitalization with the 1- and 12-month follow-up measurements. Among patients with myocardial infarction, the Framingham risk score had a strong predictive value for recurrent myocardial infarction, and a somewhat weaker predictive value for all-cause mortality. However, none of the previously proposed methods for the analysis of the DS14 Type D personality measurement predicted recurrent myocardial infarction or all-cause mortality, either in univariable analyses or in addition to the Framingham risk score. In conclusion, the present thesis found significant associations between the DS14 and psychosomatic symptoms in adolescents. However, the measurement exhibited a low stability over time and no predictive value for recurrent myocardial infarction and mortality among patients with myocardial infarction. Taken together, these results raise the question of whether the Swedish DS14 really is a measure of personality. An alternative explanation for the strong cross-sectional associations observed between the DS14 and psychosomatic symptoms might be that the DS14 functions as a pseudo-measure of ill health, or co-varies with depressive or psychosomatic characteristics.

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Ill., 1998. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-139).

Bakgrund: Psykisk ohälsa hos barn har ökat stadigt de senaste 20 åren. God psykisk hälsa är en förutsättning för att barn skall kunna utvecklas optimalt. Globalt sett lider ca 10-20 % av världens barn av psykisk ohälsa.  Det finns begränsad forskning kring vilka faktorer som kan bidra till denna ökning. Syfte: att identifiera och beskriva riskfaktorer som kan bidra till psykisk ohälsa hos barn. Metod: En beskrivande litteraturstudie av 13 vetenskapliga artiklar, 12 artiklar med kvantitativ ansats och 1 artikel med kvalitativ ansats. Huvudresultat: Resultatet visar att barn som upplever en psykisk ohälsa påverkas av olika riskfaktorer. Identifierade riskfaktorer var hur familjens struktur såg ut, föräldrarnas hälsa samt föräldrarnas utbildningsnivå och socioekonomiska status. Utsatthet var en annan betydande riskfaktor. I resultatet framkommer det att dessa faktorer har en negativ inverkan på barnets psykiska hälsa. Slutsats: Barn som lever i en ogynnsam hemmiljö med familjekonflikter eller föräldrar med en psykisk ohälsa är i riskzonen för att själva utveckla en psykisk ohälsa. Utsatthet som mobbning och olika typer av misshandel leder till en svag självbild och en markant risk för psykisk ohälsa. / Background: Mental ill health in children has increased steadily over the past 20 years. Good mental health is a prerequisite for children to develop optimally. Globally, about 10-20% of the world's children suffer from mental ill health. There is limited research on what factors can contribute to this increase. Purpose: To identify and describe risk factors that can contribute to mental ill health in children. Method: A descriptive literature study of 13 scientific articles, 12 articles with quantitative approach and 1 article with qualitative approach. Main results: The result shows that children who experience mental ill health are affected by various risk factors. Identified risk factors were the structure of the family, the health of the parents, and the parents' education and socio-economic status. Exposure was another significant risk factor. The result shows that these factors have a negative impact on the child's mental health Conclusion: Children living in an unfavorable home environment with family conflicts or parents with mental ill health are at risk of developing mental illness themselves. Exposure like bullying and various types of abuse leads to a weak self-image and a significant risk of mental ill health.

In the UK, dipping sheep with pesticides for treating ectoparasites has been one of the main pesticide applications and it was compulsory between 1984 and 1991 when organophosphates (OPs) were the main ingredients of sheep dips. As a result many current elderly sheep farmers have been exposed to OPs. The acute health effects of many pesticides especially OPs are very well documented, while the effects of long-term exposure are still unclear. Difficulties in assessing past pesticide exposure have been suggested to be one of the main reasons for this uncertainty. The overall aim of this PhD was to develop long-term occupational pesticide exposure models for UK farmers, specifically for OP exposure among sheep dippers, and to apply them to the Study of Health in Agricultural Work (SHAW) in order to examine the associations between long-term pesticide exposure and neuropsychiatric ill-health. A comprehensive conceptual exposure model to assess pesticide exposure during sheep dipping was developed and included five sources of pesticide exposure; handling the concentrate, dipping sheep in the bath, handling sheep after dipping, disposal of sheep dip, and any incidental exposure. Dermal, ingestion and inhalation routes were described for each source and different modifying factors for each route were identified. A semi-quantitative exposure algorithm was developed and all sources, routes and modifying factors were assigned scores and weights by assessment of the literature and expert judgement. The new model was evaluated by comparing its estimates of diazinon exposure among dippers who participated in the Health and Sheep Dipping Survey (HSDS) with diazinon urinary metabolite levels in spot urines collected after the dipping session. The model estimates generally did not correlate well with metabolite levels though there was evidence of an association between total metabolites and ordinal categories of exposure intensity. The uncontrolled conditions of the HSDS and the lack of 24 hr urine collections may have contributed to these results. A probabilistic model was also developed from the conceptual model and indicated that although handling the concentrate and dipping sheep are the most important exposure sources, other sources like handling dipped sheep and disposal of sheep dip should not be neglected. This probabilistic model was applied to different scenarios: probabilistic estimates may give a more comprehensive description of exposures than deterministic estimates as they take into account all conceptual variables. Occupational pesticide exposure among UK farmers in the SHAW study was then estimated using simple surrogates and more sophisticated models. The validity of self-reported exposure history among SHAW farmers was investigated by making comparison with data collected contemporaneously by the June Census. Farmers recall was generally reliable especially for a specific type of livestock or crop rather than the number of livestock or acreage. Associations between screen-identified ill-health and pesticide exposure were only demonstrated by using more developed metrics. Exposure to pesticides but not specifically OPs in sheep farming was associated with neuropathy and Parkinsonism. Exposure to OPs in sheep dipping was associated with a decrease risk of dementia. Depression was not associated with any exposure. In conclusion, this thesis developed a comprehensive model for pesticide exposure from sheep dipping and simpler exposure models for other farming sectors. The application of these models to the SHAW study suggests that long term pesticide exposure among farmers mainly via sheep dipping may result in ill- health; however the associations between exposure and outcomes may only be revealed by the use of more sophisticated exposure models rather than simple exposure surrogates. The study also indicates that even the use of well-derived deterministic estimates might lead to exposure misclassification. This misclassification may be investigated by using probabilistic approaches.

This research study investigated the effect of job engagement to organisational stress and the employees’ intention to quit among administrative personnel at the University of Fort Hare. The main objectives of this study were determining the effects of organisational stress on employees’ intention to quit, examining the role of job engagement as a moderator of the relationship between organisational stress and employees’ intention to quit, and providing results that would lead to a deeper understanding of the nature and extent of the relationship between organisational stress and intention to quit. A survey method was adopted for this study. A questionnaire comprising of four sections: biographical information, ERI questionnaire for stress, turnover intention, and UWES scale, was administered to non-academic support personnel of the University of Fort Hare in all three campuses namely Alice, Bhisho, and East London. Simple random sampling was used to select the participants. The literature reviewed displayed a great need for managers to understand organisational stress and its causes, and how to manage and cope with stress so as to avoid losing employees, especially highly competent employees. The study yielded results that show that there are interrelationships amongst the three variables, and that job engagement does moderate the relationship between organisational stress and employees’ intention to quit.

Exposure to dust and latex allergens has been well established as a cause of health problems but there have been few studies that have examined the extent of problems in latex glove manufactures, especially in Thailand. Therefore, the overall aim of the study was to determine whether exposure to dust and latex allergens was associated with health problems in Thai latex glove manufacturing workers.The study was conducted in 3 latex glove factories in southern Thailand that employed 1,481 workers (931 Thai and 550 foreign workers). Full shift personal air sampling of workers in 10 different departments was carried out using the IOM Multidust™ sampling Head equipped with 25 mm 1.0 mm Polytetrafluoroethyene filters at a flow rate of 2 L/min. A commercial ELISA kit was employed to quantify levels of the Hev b 6.02 latex allergen in air sample extracts. Information on demographics and, occupational history, exposures and health related problems attributed to work was collected by questionnaires completed by Thai workers. Lung function testing using a spirometer was also conducted among Thai workers. Univariate linear mixed-model analysis was used to determine differences in the dust and specific latex allergen concentrations between factories, departments, shifts and days. Multivariate linear mixed model analysis was used to determine exposure determinants to estimate exposure concentrations of inhalable dust and specific latex allergen. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine association between exposure to inhalable dust and specific latex allergens.292 air samples were collected. The geometric mean (GM) and a range of inhalable dust was 0.88 (0.01 – 12.34) mg/m3. The highest dust levels were found in the Stripping 3.01, (0.73 – 12.34) mg/m3 and lowest in the Office 0.11, (0.06 – 0.92 mg/m3) departments. Hev b 6.02 levels were 9.35 (4.08 – 345.53) ng/m3 and the highest and lowest levels were also found in the Stripping [19.76, (4.72 – 192.90) ng/m3] and Office [5.60, (4.37 – 14.64) ng/m3] departments. Factory and Department were important determinants of both inhalable dust and Hev b 6.02levels. 660 (157 men, 503 women) out of 931 workers completed a self-reported questionnaire. The prevalence of health problems attributed to work was highest for skin problems (25.0%) followed by Rhinitis (23.9%), conjunctivitis (22.5%) and cough (16.2%). Cumulative exposure to dust was associated with conjunctivitis attributed to work (OR and 95%CI = 1.02, [1.00 - 1.03]) after adjusted for confounders. A negative association was found between rhinitis and exposure to average dust level (OR and 95%CI =0.69 [0.48 - 0.99]). No other associations were found between either exposure to dust and self-reported ill-health. There were also no association between exposure to Hev b 6.02 and ill-health although skin problems were associated with the highest Hev b 6.02 level (OR and 95% CI = 1.72 [1.02 - 2.91]). Lung function testing was conducted in 474 Thai workers; 41 had airway restriction, 3 airway obstruction and 1 with a combined problem. Cumulative exposure to dust was associated with airway restriction after adjustment for confounders (OR and 95% CI = 1.02 (1.00 - 1.04).

Sjukskrivningar pga. stressrelaterad ohälsa fortsätter att öka frekvent i samhället. Inom arbetsterapi anses ett balanserat aktivitetsmönster att vara en förutsättning för upplevelsen av hälsa och välmående. Kunskap om aktivitetsbalans och aktivitetsvärden är en viktig del av arbetsterapeuters arbete med personer som lider utav aktivitetsohälsa. Syftet med studien var att undersöka om och i så fall vilka sociodemografiska faktorer som påverkar sambandet mellan hälsa, aktivitetsvärden och aktivitetsbalans för personer med aktivitetsohälsa. Metod. Kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie där data från totalt 218 personer samlades in, varav 192 kvinnor, 22 män och 4 hen. Data samlades in med hjälp av enkäter inför en arbetsterapeutiskintervention. De instrument som användes i studien var Oval-pd, OBQ, EQ5D samt en sociodemografisk enkät. Data analyserades genom regressions och moderationsanalyser. Resultatet visade att deltagarna generellt upplevde låga värden inom både aktivitetsbalans, aktivitetsvärde samt självskattad hälsa inför interventionen. Det fanns statistisk signifikanta samband mellan aktivitetsbalans och självskattad hälsa, varav tre moderatorer identifierades stärka det sambandet. Inget samband fanns mellan aktivitetsvärde och upplevd hälsa kunde ses, däremot identifierades att det fanns ett statistiskt signifikant samband för två moderatorer. Slutsats. Att vara kvinna, högutbildad eller sambo påverkar signifikant sambandet mellan aktivitetsbalans och upplevd hälsa. Vidare att vara kvinna eller sjukskriven på del/heltid påverkar signifikant sambandet mellan aktivitetsvärde och upplevd hälsa. Detta är ett viktigt område som behöver fortsatt forskning kring vad som kan påverka, och vara en bidragande orsak, till att personer utvecklar psykisk ohälsa pga. sin vardag. Det är viktigt för att kunna utveckla och implementera nya interventioner, samt belysa mer hälsofrämjande insatser. / Sick leave due to. Stress-related ill-health continues to increase frequently in the society. In occupational therapy, a balanced activity pattern is considered important for the experience of health and well-being. Knowledge of occupational balance and occupational values ​​is an essential part of occupational therapists' work with people who suffer from occupational ill health. The purpose of this study was to investigate if and if so, what socio-demographic factors affect the relationship between perceive health, occupational values ​​and occupational balance for people with occupational ill health. Method. Quantitative cross-sectional study in which data from a total of 218 persons were collected, of which 192 were women, 22 men and 4 other. Data were collected with the help of surveys prior to an occupational therapy intervention. The instruments used were Oval-PD, OBQ, EQ5D and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed by regression and moderation analyzes. The results showed that participants generally experienced low values ​​in both the occupational balance, occupational value and self-assessed health prior to the intervention. There was a statistically significant association between occupational balance and self-assessed health, of which three moderators were identified to strengthen that relationship. There was no correlation between occupational value and perceived health, however, two moderators was identified who statistically significant effect the association. Conclusion. Being a woman, highly educated or cohabiting significantly influences the relationship between occupational balance and perceived health. Furthermore, being a woman or being sick on part/full time significantly affects the relationship between occupational value and perceived health. This is an important area that needs further research on what can affect, and be a contributing cause of, people developing mental illness due to their everyday life. It is important to be able to develop and implement new interventions, as well as highlight more health-promoting efforts.

Bakgrund: Anorexia Nervosa är en av den vanligaste ätstörningen och drabbar främst yngre kvinnor. Sjukdomen leder till en förvrängd kroppsuppfattning och karaktäriseras främst av viljestyrd överdriven bantning. Långvarig och grav AN kan skada kroppens organ vilket kan vara livshotande. AN är den psykiatriska sjukdomen med högst dödslighetsgrad. Det är svårt att behandla patienter med AN då det finns ett motstånd från dessa patienter på grund av att de förnekar sina beteenden. Det kan även bero på stigman kring ätstörningar som finns i samhället, vilket leder till att patienter undviker eller uteblir från behandling. Syfte: Att beskriva unga kvinnors upplevelser av att leva med anorexia nervosa. Metod: En kvalitativ analys av narrativer tillämpades på sex bloggar från Google. Bloggarna var skrivna av kvinnor i åldrarna 16–26 år. Resultat: Ur analysen framträdde tre kategorier; Att skambelägga sig själv, Självhat och Begynnande sjukdomsinsikt med sju underkategorier. Konklusion: Studien kan leda till en ökad förståelse och kunskap kring patienters upplevelser av att leva med AN, vilket kan bidra till att sjuksköterskan kan utföra en mer personcentrerad vård. / Background: Anorexia Nervosa is one of the most common eating disorders and mainly affects younger women. The disease leads to a distorted body image and is characterized mainly by will-driven excessive dieting. Prolonged and severe AN can damage the body's organs which can be life-threatening. AN is a psychiatric disease with a high risk of death. It is difficult to treat patients with AN because there is resistance from these patients though they are in complete deny of their behaviour. It may also be due to the stigma surrounding eating disorders that exist in the community, which leads to patients avoiding treatments for their disease. Purpose: To describe young women's experiences of living with anorexia nervosa. Method: A qualitative analysis of narratives was applied to six blogs from Google. The blogs were written by women aged 16-26 years. Results: Three categories emerged from the analysis; To shame oneself, Selfhatred and Incipient desease insight with seven subcategories. Conclusion: The study can lead to an increased understanding and knowledge of patients' experiences of living with AN, which can help the nurse to provide a good person-centered care.