Search

Objective: Presenteeism has, in a larger sense, been viewed as a negative behaviour, although a limited body of studies suggests and reports its positive implications in an organizational context. This study assessed the association between the physical work environment (PWE) and presenteeism as well as the moderating influence of workplace support for health (WSH) on this relationship. Methods: This study adopted the cross-sectional design alongside a sensitivity analysis and techniques against common methods bias. The study population was employees of private and public organizations in Accra, Ghana. A total of 590 employees participated in the study and hierarchical linear regression was used to present the results. Results: PWE had a positive relationship with presenteeism (β = 0.15; t = 3.04; p < 0.05), which means that higher presenteeism was associated with larger PWE scores. WSH positively moderated the relationship between PWE and presenteeism (β = 0.23; t = 4.84; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Organizations with more satisfactory work environments may serve as preferred protective places for employees during a pandemic, more so within organizations with higher WSH. Interventions rolled out to improve PWE and to provide WSH can attenuate the potential negative influences of presenteeism on individual health and organizational productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the moderating influence of resilience on the association between emotional intelligence and work engagement in clinical leaders. The study population was leaders working in the emergency wards of some health facilities in Accra. A total of 310 leaders participated in the study by completing a self-reported questionnaire. The analysis of data showed that emotional intelligence makes a positive influence on work engagement in clinical leaders working in emergency departments. The moderating influence of Health facilities can improve work engagement in emergency settings by utilizing training programs to improve both emotional intelligence and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a scale measuring patients' perceptions regarding physical activity (PA) counseling by physicians. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to assess psychometric properties. The first factor extracted was "PA recommendation," which accounted for a variance of 45.1% out of total variance of 76.3% and comprises 5 items. The final scale yielded satisfactory psychometric properties including internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.75), convergent validity, discriminant validity, and predictive validity. Nine (9) items that makeup two factors (i.e., PA recommendation and follow-up) are potential measures of patients' perceptions regarding PA counseling by physicians in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the year 2003 when the first walkability scale was published to date, person-environment fit models and empirical research, some of which was published in Health Promotion International , have encapsulated healthy communities in 'neighborhood walkability'. While there is no doubt that neighborhood walkability positively influences health-seeking behaviors and health, recent models suggest that their measurement and conceptualization have not emphasized the role played by psychosocial and personal factors in aging in place. Thus, the development of scales measuring human ecosystem factors has not recognized all critical factors suited for older adults. In this paper, we aim to draw on relevant literature to frame a more holistic construct, hereby referred to as Socially Active Neighborhoods (SAN), that would better support aging in place in older populations. Through a narrative review based on a systematic search of the literature, we define the scope of SAN and delineate some contextual implications for gerontology, health promotion and psychometric testing. SAN, unlike neighborhood walkability in its current measurement and conceptualization, incorporates critical theory-informed psychosocial factors (i.e. safety and disability friendliness of neighborhood infrastructure) that can encourage older adults with physiological and cognitive limitations to maintain physical and social activities as well as health in later life. The SAN is the result of our adaptation of key person-environment models, including the Context Dynamics in Aging (CODA) framework, that recognizes the role of context in healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study found a positive association between subjective age and social activity. • Higher information technology ability was associated with older subjective age. • Information technology ability was positively associated with social activity. • Information technology ability partially mediated the association between subjective age and social activity. • This study implies that the framing of healthy ageing should not only be based on the individual's chronological age but should also consider subjective age. The association between subjective age and social activity has been reported in the extant literature, but whether this association is mediated by information technology ability and its domains (i.e., internet use assessment, packaged software use assessment, and innovativeness attitude) has not been examined. To assess the association between subjective age and social activity and to ascertain whether this association is mediated by information technology ability. This study adopted a cross-sectional design characterising sensitivity analyses and common methods bias. The participants were 895 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years or higher in Accra, Ghana. We measured subjective age, information technology ability, and social activity with previously validated Likert scales, each of which was internally consistent at a Cronbach's α ≥0.7. The data were analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis. Subjective age was positively associated with social activity, and this association was partially mediated by information technology ability but none of the three domains of information technology ability mediated this relationship. Subjective age was positively associated with information technology ability and its three domains. Information technology ability (but not its domains) was positively associated with social activity. Older subjective age was associated with higher social activity through information technology ability. Social activity and information technology ability levels among older adults depend on subjective age, which has implications for ageing and gerontology as reported in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research to date suggests that physical activity (PA) among academics is insufficient globally. Academics in many African countries were recently required to resume work while observing social distancing protocols. Physical inactivity (PI) was, therefore, expected to increase in such academics. Interestingly, walkable neighbourhoods are resources that could discourage excessive sitting and PI in this situation. This study, therefore, assessed the moderating role of neighbourhood walkability in the relationship between core job components (i.e. on-site teaching, online teaching, research and student assessment) and PA among academics. The study adopted a cross-sectional design that utilized an online survey hosted by Google Forms to gather data. Participants were volunteer full-time academics in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania. A total of 1064 surveys were analysed, with a sensitivity analysis utilized to select covariates for the ultimate hierarchical linear regression model. After controlling for the ultimate covariates (e.g. gender, education and income), PA was found to be positively associated with the job component 'research work' but negatively associated with student assessment. Neighbourhood walkability increased the positive relationship of research work with PA and reduced the negative relationship of student assessment with PA. The non-significant negative relationship between 'teaching online' and PA was made positively significant by neighbourhood walkability. We conclude that research as a job component is positively associated with PA, but online teaching is negatively associated with PA among African academics in a post-COVID-19 context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]