Social Psychological Factors in Lifestyle Change and Their Relevance to Policy

Crises in obesity and changes in the environment illustrate the need to change problematic behaviors and lifestyles in large segments of the population. This article uses social psychological theory and research to understand methods for facilitating lifestyle change. A basic assumption in the social psychological perspective is that the environment and the person interact to determine behavior. Both factors are important for understanding "upstream" and "downstream" approaches to lifestyle change ( McKinlay, 1993 ; Verplanken & Wood, 2006 ) and consideration of one factor without the other may be disastrous. We review evidence from within and outside of the health context to illustrate the upstream and downstream approaches and then describe implications for public policy and intervention. The evidence and recommendations encompass a wide range of behaviors, ranging from speeding and intoxicated driving to eating an unhealthy diet and energy conservation. When armed with the relevant social psychological theory and evidence, lifestyle change campaigns are likely to be successful.     

Residential quality assessment: A conceptual model and empirical test

This paper presents a model for the study of perceived residential quality based on the conept that qualities are the criteria by which people evaluate their neighborhood. The assessment of neighborhood attributes is characterized by three groups of variables: qualities, resources and qualities with respect to specific resources. This categorization is presented in a two dimensional matrix which provides for a systematic selection of variables before a study is undertaken, and straightforward analytical procedures once the data are registered. The concept of “qualities as criteria” coupled with the matrix framework provoke the creative search for alternative resources to compensate for deficient qualities in the neighborhood context. Results of applying the model in five deprived neighborhoods in Israel are presented.     

Exploring turnover intentions among three professional groups of employees

Abstract

Although considerable research effort has been devoted to understanding work attitudes, behaviours and outcomes regarding turnover intentions, little has been done to explore it across different professions. This study takes a step in this direction and examines the effect of affective commitment, job satisfaction and job performance on turnover intentions across three professions. To this end, we surveyed three professional groups of employees and managers: financial officers and social workers employed in the public sector and lawyers employed in the private sector. The results of these three studies show that turnover intentions vary across these professions. Social workers exhibit lower turnover intentions than financial officers and lawyers, who tend to exhibit high turnover intentions. In addition, we found that job satisfaction and affective commitment are negatively associated with turnover intentions, while no significant relationship was found to exist between job performance and turnover intentions. The implications of this study suggest that both researchers and practitioners should take into consideration not only the organizational context, but also the occupational context while exploring the process of voluntary turnover.     

Chemical Spill Exposure Assessment

POSSM, the PCB On-Site Spill Model, is a contaminant transport model developed to predict environmental concentrations associated with a chemical spill. The model predicts daily changes in chemical concentrations on a spill site (e.g., in soil and on vegetation) and losses of chemical due to volatilization, surface runoff/soil erosion, and leaching to groundwater. Spill areas consisting of soil/vegetation and/or an impervious surface (e.g., asphalt and concrete) can be analyzed, as can different spill cleanup practices. POSSM is used to analyze exposure levels associated with a hypothetical capacitor spill. While the model was developed for PCB spills, it is generally applicable to a number of organic compounds.     

Social Support: An Important Factor for Treatment Adherence and Health-related Quality of Life of Patients with End-stage Renal Disease

ABSTRACT

End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or chronic kidney disease constitutes a serious public health problem in the United States. The purpose of this study is to examine the causal relationship of perceived social support with treatment adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of ESRD patients. The study utilized a non-experimental research design and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze the data collected from a sample of 413 ESRD patients. The findings of the study supported a statistically significant relationship between perceived social support and HRQOL as well as between perceived social support and treatment adherence. Formulating appropriately targeted interventions to improve social support may help in enhancing the HRQOL and treatment adherence, where both those factors were empirically supported to be related to mortality and hospitalizations in ESRD patients. This study helps to enhance the body of knowledge relating to HRQOL of ESRD patients, and provided foundation for interventions in improving treatment adherence and the HRQOL. Future research may focus on the complexities associated with the HRQOL and treatment adherence in ESRD patients, with emphasis on demographic characteristics and its relationship with social support.     

Isolation as a Form of Marital Violence: The South Asian Immigrant Experience

Isolation is an important factor in marital abuse among South Asian immigrant families. It lends itself to the invisibility immigrant women experience based on their ethno-gender status in the United States. Drawn from unstructured interviews with abused South Asian immigrant women, three different levels of isolation are explained. The first level involves the quality of a woman's relationship with her spouse; the second is related to the frequency and quality of social interaction with friends, relatives, and coworkers; and the third is explained in terms of the level of access to and participation in the ethnic community and other formal institutions.