Considering the increasing levels of unemployment and underemployment, and the limited evidence concerning the impact of underemployment on health, my study examines the relations between subjective, objective, and time-related underemployment and employees’ health-related quality of life, as manifested through self-rated health, activity limitations and work-related stress. The study compares an expanded model of work-health relations that, along with the factors addressed by control-demand, and social capital theories, includes characteristics of the physical work environment, and employees’ economic class. In addition to the commonly examined factors related to employment and health (control-demand and social capital), my study explores the impact of the work environment (hazards, discomfort and physical demands) and economic class to determine the specific effects of underemployment on an employee’s health-related quality of life. My main argument is that underemployment, in conjunction with lower economic class, higher exposure to a harmful work environment, lack of control over work, and lower social capital, contributes to increased work-related stress and diminishes health-related quality of life. The study applies a mixed methodological approach based on data from the Canadian Work and Lifelong Learning Survey and the US General Social Survey, and qualitative analysis of interviews from the Ontario Survey on Education-Job Requirements Matching. Evidence based on cross-sectional and qualitative data analysis provides consistent findings and confirms the main assumption that high levels of underemployment have a significant effect on employees’ health-related quality of life. The study shows that employees’ economic class, characteristics of work environment and control over work carry the highest associations with health-related quality of life, while underemployment has a significant additive association with health-related quality of life, most importantly with work-related stress.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Labour economists in South Africa have extensively researched on almost all aspects of the unemployment phenomenon, specifically, the levels and extent of unemployment as well as the causes of unemployment have received a lot of empirical attention. One category of the labour force, namely the underemployed, has mostly been ignored in empirical studies. An investigation into the prevalence and rate of underemployment is essential because unemployment alone underestimates the magnitude of a country’s available excess labour capacity. The study focuses on various conceptual and empirical issues, including the definition of underemployment, the extent of underemployment in South Africa, demographic characteristics of the underemployed, an empirical estimation of the total earnings effect of underemployment, the duration of underemployment, and the possible policy options to tackle underemployment. To achieve its research objectives, the study conducts various descriptive and econometric analyses, using the data from the 1995-2016 labour force surveys and the first four waves of NIDS conducted in 2008-2015.

La formation de troubles physico-chimiques pendant le stockage de boissons clarifiées préoccupe la filière cidricole. Ces troubles sont dus à des interactions entre différents constituants de la boisson, générant des agrégats visibles. Ce travail présente un double objectif : étudier la composition des troubles afin de déterminer les familles chimiques impliquées, puis étudier les mécanismes des interactions responsables de l’apparition de ces troubles. Pour cela, la composition des troubles a été analysée dans trois boissons cidricoles (cidre, jus de pomme et pommeau). Les résultats ont montré l’implication des composés phénoliques et ont conduit à l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’oxydation de ces composés jouerait un rôle prépondérant dans leur agrégation. Des protéines ont également été dosées en grandes concentrations dans des troubles de jus de pomme, suggérant leur implication dans leur formation.Ces hypothèses ont été vérifiées par deux approches en solutions modèles : en modèle pommeau et en modèle jus de pomme. Ces travaux ont mis en évidence des troubles de différentes natures en fonction de la boisson étudiée. D’une part, les troubles des cidres et des pommeaux s’expliqueraient essentiellement par l’auto-agrégation des procyanidines oligomères consécutive à leur oxydation. Les marqueurs moléculaires impliqués dans la formation de trouble réversible ont pu être identifiés. D’autre part, les troubles de certains jus de pomme, relativement pauvres en composés phénoliques et riches en protéines, seraient provoqués par la dénaturation de protéines de défense des plantes / Physico-chemical haze appearance during storage of clarified apple-based beverages is a concern for producers. These hazes are caused by interactions between several constituents of the beverage that lead to the formation of visible aggregates. This work had two main goals: analyze the composition of hazes in order to determine which families of compounds are responsible for their formation, and understand which mechanisms are involved. First, the composition of the haze gathered from three apple-based beverages (cider, apple juice and pommeau) was analyzed. The results revealed the implication of phenolic compounds and led to the hypothesis that their oxidation was probably one of the main factors responsible for haze formation. Proteins were found in quite large quantities in some apple juice hazes, which suggests their involvement in haze formation in this beverage.These two hypotheses have been verified using two model approaches: in a model pommeau and in a model apple juice. This work evidenced that different kinds of hazes exist in apple-based beverages. On the one hand, haze in pommeaux and ciders is mainly explained by procyanidin oligomers self-aggregation induced by their oxidation, with possible interactions with other beverage constituents. On the other hand, haze in some apple juices, which probably contain low polyphenol and high protein levels, is triggered by “Pathogenesis-Related Proteins” denaturation that lead to their self-aggregation, in interaction with oligomeric procyanidins.

Word recognition is based on the complex interplay of bottom up processing of acoustic input and corresponding top-down processing based on linguistic redundancies (i.e., contextual cues). Friedrich and Kotz (2007) investigated the timeline of integrating top-down and bottom-up processes among young adults with normal hearing using sentences presented in quiet. As a follow-up study, also with young adults with normal hearing (Experiment 1 of this dissertation), we used sentences embedded in multi-talker background noise and found similar results to Friedrich and Kotz (2007); but, with the use of principal component analysis (PCA) unveiled additional effects of phonological and semantic integration of spoken sentences presented in background noise. These past studies provide evidence of the time course of bottom-up and top-down mechanisms among young adult listeners in quiet and in noise; however, it is unknown if a similar pattern would be present among older adult listeners, which was the primary goal of the dissertation. In Experiment 2, we aimed to elucidate the time-course, and behavioral and neural correlates of word recognition primed by speech-in-noise in older adults with near normal hearing (i.e., thresholds ≤ 25 dB-HL through 3000 Hz and minimal high frequency hearing loss). Older adults often report difficulty understanding speech in the presence of background noise. Degradation in peripheral and central auditory processing along with age-related cognitive decline has been hypothesized as reasons why older adults struggle in the presence of noise.

A model of social behaviours, peer rejection, social cognitions and psychosocial outcomes in children aged 9 to 12 was investigated. Two studies, including one pilot study (Study 1) and a longitudinal study with two waves and a 6-month lag between assessments (Study 2A and Study 2B), were conducted to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships pertaining to the antecedents and consequences of peer rejection as children approach adolescence. In Study 1, perceptions of relationships, peer-related attributions, and depressive symptoms were examined as consequences of peer rejection among 208 Grade 5 and 6 children aged 9 to 11 from one primary school. The findings from this study indicated that social cognitions play a partial mediating role linking peer rejection to depressive symptoms. The interaction between peer rejection and social cognitions did not contribute to the prediction of depressive symptoms, therefore a diathesis-stress model of depression was not supported. Study 2A and 2B were cross-sectional and longitudinal examinations of Study 1. A model of social behaviours, peer rejection, social cognitions and children's functioning was proposed and tested. In these studies, perceptions of relationships and perceived social acceptance were indicators of social cognitions. Participants were 334 Grade 5 to 7 children mostly aged 9 to 12, with 308 participants completing both assessments of the longitudinal study. Results of Study 2A provided further support for the mediating role of social cognitions between peer rejection and depressive symptoms. Positive associations between peer rejection, relational aggression and withdrawal, and a negative association between peer rejection and prosocial behaviour were also found. Significant associations of externalising behaviour with physical aggression and peer rejection were also found, suggesting separate pathways to depression and externalising behaviour via children's behaviours and peer rejection. In the longitudinal study, earlier relational aggression and withdrawal were associated with later peer rejection. No support for a longitudinal mediation effect for social cognitions in the peer rejection-depression relationship was observed, although a bidirectional association between social cognitions and depressive symptoms over time was found. Gender differences and moderation were also tested, but few effects were found. It was concluded that children's cognitions regarding peer relationships and perceived social acceptance are important factors in understanding the pathways from peer difficulties to depression during late childhood. Furthermore, evidence was found for specific pathways linking children's social behaviours to depression and externalising behaviour. Implications for theory, research and practice are discussed, including the importance of considering the child's perceptions of their peer functioning as well as actual peer status, and the need for future research to examine social cognitive factors relevant to aggression as well as withdrawal. Possible directions for targeted interventions are also described.

<p>The purpose of our study was to give girls who are victims of honor related violence a chance to express their needs experienced after the breakup from their families. Furthermore, the study aimed to examine in what extent the girls' needs have been met, how and by whom? The focus was the girls' own experiences thru the breakup from their families and beyond. The issues we wanted to answer were: What needs of help and support does these girls feel that they have? What are the needs immediately after the breakup and how do they look in the longer term? To what extent do the girls have their needs met, how and by whom? What needs experience the girls have not been satisfied? In order to answer our questions, we used semi-structured life-world interviews. We have used needs as a theoretical concept in an attempt to understand the perceived needs of girls through different perspectives. Our results show that the girls are in: need for security both in connection with the breakup but also seen in the long term, needs of belonging to a community and finally, a need of being confirmed as an individual.</p>

The purpose of our study was to give girls who are victims of honor related violence a chance to express their needs experienced after the breakup from their families. Furthermore, the study aimed to examine in what extent the girls' needs have been met, how and by whom? The focus was the girls' own experiences thru the breakup from their families and beyond. The issues we wanted to answer were: What needs of help and support does these girls feel that they have? What are the needs immediately after the breakup and how do they look in the longer term? To what extent do the girls have their needs met, how and by whom? What needs experience the girls have not been satisfied? In order to answer our questions, we used semi-structured life-world interviews. We have used needs as a theoretical concept in an attempt to understand the perceived needs of girls through different perspectives. Our results show that the girls are in: need for security both in connection with the breakup but also seen in the long term, needs of belonging to a community and finally, a need of being confirmed as an individual.

Across the world, job insecurity plays a critical role in organisations. This insecurity affects not only the individual, but also the organisation. In South Africa, the Employment Equity Act (No. 55 of 1998), and the Broad-Based Socio-Economic Empowerment Charter for the South African Mining Industry (Mining Charter), brought changes to the mining industry policies and decision-making process in terms of selection and recruitment, which could in turn lead to feelings of job insecurity. Other factors such as the availability of gold left to be mined, restructuring and strikes increase work-related stress. The objectives of this study were to investigate the role of job insecurity in predicting health related behaviours, and to determine whether coping moderates the effect of job insecurity on health behaviours for a group of managers in a South African gold mining company. A cross-sectional design was used. The study population (n = 206) consisted of managers in a gold mining company in South Africa The Job Insecurity Scale, Cybernetic Coping Scale and Health Complaints Questionnaire were used as measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics (e.g. means, standard deviations and kurtosis) were used to analyse the data. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to test for the hypothesized moderating effect of coping on the relation between job insecurity and health-related behaviours. The results of the regression analyses showed that qualitative job insecurity was a significant predictor of health complaints. Qualitative job insecurity was also a significant predictor of health complaints in employees who smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol, and exercised at least once a week. Quantitative job insecurity did not play a role in predicting health-related behaviour. Coping did not moderate the effects of job insecurity for employees with health complaints. Rather, it is suggested that using negative coping behaviours may actually contribute to health complaints. Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

In this thesis, we explore determinants of Canadian workers’ job-related education and training take-ups by using the 2008 Access and Support to Education and Training Survey (ASETS). We implement three models, OLS, probit and logit. Regression results show that the three models produce similar and generally consistent estimates. We find systematic patterns across demographic groups in relation to job-related education and training. Most of our findings, such as the e?ect of age and education, are consistent with previous research. We also find two new influential factors, namely, individuals’ computer ability and their information search behavior, which are critical in determining job-related education and training take-ups. This new finding not only further completes the image of job-related education or training take-ups, but also suggests that government, educational institutions and employers invest more resources into internet to e?ectively promote job-related education and training.

Bakgrund: Bröstcancer är den vanligaste cancerformen bland kvinnor och i Sverige diagnostiseras cirka 7000 nya fall per år. Behandlingsstrategierna vid bröstcancer är i första hand kirurgi följd av eventuell strålbehandling och läkemedelsbehandling. Efter genomförd mastektomi erbjuds alla svenska kvinnor plastikkirurgisk rekonstruktion. Rekonstruktion är frivilligt men många kvinnor väljer att rekonstruera för att känna sig mer kvinnliga, mer självsäkra i sin kropp och sin sexualitet och som en “hel” människa igen. Det är framför allt yngre och ensamstående kvinnor som tycker det är viktigt med rekonstruktion. Syfte: I denna studie undersöktes livskvalitet hos mastektomerade kvinnor med eller utan efterföljande rekonstruktion, att jämföra uppfattning mellan grupperna och beroende på ålder, och hur de upplevde stödet från vården. Metod: Kvalitativ intervjustudie. 7 kvinnor intervjuades utifrån 8 öppna frågor rörande psykosocial situation relaterad till kroppsbild, sexualitet, beslutsfattande och stödbehov. Intervjuerna spelades in, transkriberades och analyserades med hjälp av innehållsanalys. Resultat: Innehållsanalysen delades in i 2 teman, livskvalitet och bröstcancerkirurgin, som delades in i 5 kategorier, psykisk hälsa, kroppsuppfattning, psykosocial hälsa, upplevelse av vården och valet: rekonstruktion/ej rekonstruktion. Oavsett om kvinnorna genomfört rekonstruktion eller inte så skattade de sin livskvalitet som god. De kvinnor som genomgått rekonstruktion skattade sin livskvalitet högre efter rekonstruktionen än innan. Beslutet om rekonstruktion togs utifrån personliga känslor och tankar. Kvinnorna som inte hade gjort rekonstruktion upplevde ingreppet som riskfyllt och onödigt. De kvinnor som genomförde rekonstruktionen ville inte känna sig stympade och efter operation upplevde att de kände sig mer kvinnliga och som en hel människa igen. Vården uppfattade kvinnorna som bra, men med ökat behov av eftervård och bättre kontinuitet. Slutsats: Oavsett om kvinnorna gjort rekonstruktion eller inte är de nöjda med sitt enskilda val och skattar sin livskvalitet god. Kvinnorna uppfattar bemötandet från vården bra men det finns ett behov av ökad kontakt efter behandlingsslut. / Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and in Sweden approximately 7000 new cases are diagnosed every year. The primary treatment for breast cancer is surgery with possible subsequent radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Following mastectomy all women in Sweden are offered a surgical breast reconstruction. This is an optional choice, but many women choose reconstruction in order to feel more feminine, more confident in their bodies and their sexuality, and as a more "whole" woman. It is mainly the younger and single women who chose to do a reconstruction. Purpose: This study examines the health related quality of life within women who did or did not undergo breast reconstruction, depending of choice, age and how they experienced the healthcare support. Method: Qualitative interview study with seven women who participated in the study. The interview contained eight open questions concerning psychosocial situation related to body image, sexuality, decision-making and support needs. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed with Graneheim- and Lundmans content analysis. Results: The analysis from the transcript was categorized into 2 groups: Quality of life and the breastcancer surgery. These two groups were divided into psychic health, body image, psychosocial health, and experience of the health care and the choice of reconstruction. Both the women who chose to do the reconstruction and those who do not, rate their health related quality of life as high. The women who underwent reconstruction rated their quality of life higher after the reconstruction than before. The decision regarding reconstruction was based on personal thoughts, and women who did not do reconstruction wished to focus on wining their fight against cancer and that thought that breast reconstruction was a major surgery with a high risk of complications. Decision about reconstruction was based on feeling truncated without breasts and with the new breast they feel feminine and whole again. Conclusion: Whether the women have made a reconstruction or not they are satisfied with their individual choices and rate their quality of life as high. The women also have experienced the communication to health care staff as good, but they even experience a huge need for follow-ups. / Hälsorelaterad livskvalitet och psykosocial situation bland kvinnor från olika kulturer efter bröstcancerkirurgi med eller utan rekonstruktion.