The Dimensionality of Cognitive Appraisal and Its Relationship to Physical and Psychological Well-Being

In current adjustment models, an individual's appraisal of life events has been included as an important determinant in the stress-illness process. In particular, these events have been defined in terms of a variety of unidimensional concepts, such as desirability, controllability, or as having the potential for threat or challenge. The present study investigated the multidimensional nature of cognitive appraisal and its relationship to physical and psychological well-being. Residents of a Canadian community (N = 184) responded to an extensive survey on life-event stress, appraisal, alcohol consumption, health status, and depression. A principal-axis factor analysis of 19 appraisal dimensions revealed five factors accounting for 60% of the variance: Undesirability/Threat, Gain/Challenge, Need for Information, Familiarity, and Need to Accept. Entered with total number of life events and coping behavior as predictors in a series of stepwise regressions, these appraisal factors differentially predicted aspects of well-being.     

Physical exercise and anxiety as moderators of the stress-illness relationship

This study examines the interplay of unemployment stress, trait anxiety and physical exercise in the development of physical health. Longitudinal data were taken from a sample of East German migrants (N = 330) who were confronted with the potentially stressful demand of finding a job in the Western society. Unemployment stress was found to exert a main effect on illness level. Trait anxiety was a moderator of the stress-illness relationship, but exercise was not. As indicated by a three-way interaction involving exercise, anxiety, and stress, exercise was most beneficial among high-anxious subjects who were not exposed to unemployment stress. Results of this study suggest that exercise may not buffer the deleterious effects of stressful situational conditions (unemployment), but may effectively mitigate the health-damaging consequences of lacking personal resources, such as high dispositional anxiety.     

The direct and indirect benefits of dispositional mindfulness on self-esteem and social anxiety

This study investigated the long‐term health effects of combat stress reaction (CSR) among Israeli CSR casualties (112) and control veterans (184) of the 1973 Yom Kippur war. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), physical symptoms, and adverse health practices were examined 18 years after the war. The relationship between CSR, PTSD, physical symptoms and adverse health practices was examined via hierarchical linear regression. Findings indicate that although CSR was positively associated with more current physical symptoms and adverse health practices in univariate analyses, these associations were not significant once demographic differences between the groups were controlled. In contrast, current PTSD symptoms were positively associated with current physical symptoms (p < 0.001) and showed a trend association with adverse health practices (p = 0.06). PTSD was the most powerful predictor of current physical symptoms and appears to mediate the association between CSR and physical symptoms almost two decades after the war. Both combat stress reaction and the results of the study were discussed in the light of the theory of Conservation of Resources (COR).     

‘I feel better when…’: An analysis of the memory-experience gap for peoples’ estimates of the relationship between health behaviours and experiences

Objective: People often overestimate how strongly behaviours and experiences are related. This memory-experience gap might have important implications for health care settings, which often require people to estimate associations, such as “my mood is better when I exercise”. This study examines how subjective correlation estimates between health behaviours and experiences relate to calculated correlations from online reports and whether subjective estimates are associated with engagement in actual health behaviour.

Design: Seven-month online study on physical activity, sleep, affect and stress, with 61 online assessments.

Main Outcome Measures: University students (N = 168) retrospectively estimated correlations between physical activity, sleep, positive affect and stress over the seven-month study period.

Results: Correlations between experiences and behaviours (online data) were small (r = ?.12–.14), estimated correlations moderate (r = ?.35–.24). Correspondence between calculated and estimated correlations was low. Importantly, estimated correlations of physical activity with stress, positive affect and sleep were associated with actual engagement in physical activity.

Conclusion: Estimation accuracy of relations between health behaviours and experiences is low. However, association estimates could be an important predictor of actual health behaviours. This study identifies and quantifies estimation inaccuracies in health behaviours and points towards potential systematic biases in health settings, which might seriously impair intervention efficacy.     

Is anxiety about health associated with desire to exercise, physical activity, and exercise dependence?

There are significant gaps in the literature regarding the behavioural consequences of health anxiety. Although past research indicates that health anxiety is associated with distinctive maladaptive behaviours, such as reassurance seeking, the relationship between health anxiety and wellness-related behaviours, such as physical activity, has not been adequately examined. Given that health anxiety is associated with excessive attempts to ensure health and avoid illness, health anxiety could be potentially related to extreme physical activity, known as exercise dependence. Using the cognitive behavioural model of health anxiety as a framework, this exploratory study investigated the relationships between health anxiety, exercise desire, physical activity, and exercise dependence.Undergraduate university students (n = 144) completed a battery of online measures. Results indicated that only the perceptual component of health anxiety, namely hypervigilance to somatic symptoms, was related to exercise desire and components of exercise dependence. Implications of the findings are discussed and future research avenues are explored.     

Supervisor Workplace Stress and Abusive Supervision: The Buffering Effect of Exercise

Purpose

We examine how supervisor stress is associated with employee-rated abusive supervision. In addition, we test the premise that higher levels of physical exercise by supervisors can buffer the negative effects of stress on their relationship with their subordinates.

Design/Methodology/Approach

A matched sample of 98 employed individuals and their direct supervisors was used to test our hypotheses.

Findings

Results suggest that increased levels of supervisor-reported stress are related to the increased experience of employee-rated abusive supervision. We also find that the relationship between supervisor stress and abusive behavior can be diminished when supervisors engage in moderate levels of physical exercise.

Implications

While the current economic conditions and a host of other trying workplace factors mean that supervisors are likely to experience workplace stress, we found evidence that they do not necessarily have to transfer these frustrations onto those they supervise. Our study supports a link between supervisor stress and employee perceptions of abusive supervision, but this is a link that can be loosened if supervisors engage in moderate levels of physical exercise.

Originality/Value

The results of this study add to the modest number of antecedents to abusive supervision that have been discovered in existing research. In addition, this is the first study to examine how exercise can buffer the relationship between supervisor stress and employee perceptions of abusive supervision.     

Exercise Behavior Change and The Effect Of Lost Resources

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the effects of lost resources on exercise behavior among a sample of 30 foreign exchange students who were identified as having experienced a relapse in their level of physical activity. The first phase of the study was longitudinal in nature, comparing baseline data collected from a sample of 110 exchange students from Malaysia on their initial arrival in England with data collected from the same sample 4 months later. Results of a multivariate analysis of variance indicated a significant effect for scores on processes of change, self-efficacy, and decisional balance, F(12, 18) = 12.74, p < .001. Subsequent examination of univariate F values also revealed significant differences for self-reevaluation, reinforcement management, self-liberation, and self-efficacy. Results from the second phase of the study, which qualitatively assessed the relationship between reductions in physical activity and personal/material resources, revealed that exercise behavior was significantly influenced by resources lost as a result of being in an unfamiliar environment. Implications for health promotion practitioners and researchers are discussed.     

The role of coping in the stress-strain relationship among senior police officers

In a large-scale study of senior police officers in Great Britain (Superintendent and Chief Superintendent ranks), the role of coping in the stress-strain relationship was explored. There was no indication of a direct impact of coping on physical well-being nor was there any evidence of a direct effect on job satisfaction, but coping was related to mental health. Coping also exhibited a direct relationship to subjectively perceived job stress. Moreover, coping moderated the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction, but a buffering influence was not observed on the job satisfaction-health linkages. Job satisfaction had a direct impact on both mental and physical ill-health (showing high satisfaction was associated with superior physical and psychological health). Likewise, there was a direct relationship between overall job stress and job satisfaction.     

Physical activity and body image: Intertwined health priorities identified by transmasculine young people in a non-metropolitan area

Abstract

Background: A dearth of research exists about the health behaviors of transgender young people (TYP). As we seek to learn more about transgender (trans) health, community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches are crucial for incorporating TYP’s needs into the formulation of research questions and development of health behavior programing.

Aim: Explore body image and exercise as priorities among TYP.

Methods: Trans masculine young adults (N?=?16) in a small city in the Midwest took part in semi-structured interviews about their health behaviors and priorities. Theme analysis was used to capture key patterns in participants’ responses. Specific analysis steps included initial and more specific coding, analytical memos, organizational matrices and reports, and discussion about results with participants.

Results: Participants identified exercise and body image as connected primary health concerns. They discussed these issues in terms of three themes: Body shape as motivation for exercise; Poor body image, stigma and fear as exercise barriers, and; Exercise or lack of, as destructive. Participants wanted to exercise to achieve a certain body shape, not for health or as stress relief. They cited gyms as unwelcoming, however. They also worried about discrimination and did not feel sufficiently comfortable with their bodies to exercise. When they could not exercise, they used harmful behaviors, like restricted eating, to achieve a specific male shape.

Conclusions: Using participatory methods allowed us to understand the priorities of a group of Transmasculine young people. Our findings suggest that it is important to continue to explore TYP’s body-related motivations for exercise and understand the balance between exercise as a positive health behavior, and a potentially harmful one, in light of TYP’s complex body image concerns. Trans friendly gyms and gym policies could promote safe exercise and continued anti trans discrimination work and policy advocacy can promote the safety of TYP in all spaces.     

A ‘new life’ story or ‘delaying the inevitable’? Exploring older people's narratives during exercise uptake

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to examine narratives of ageing in a clinical population embarking on a physical activity/exercise programme, exploring if and how their narratives changed throughout their experiences.DesignThe study employed a longitudinal narrative approach.MethodParticipants were six sedentary individuals aged between 78 and 89 years who were enrolled on an exercise programme for older adults. During the course of the 32-week programme participants took part in multiple interviews focused on their attitudes towards physical activity and their physical self-perceptions and identity. A structural narrative analysis was used to focus on the progression of the plot outlined in each participant's story.ResultsOur results suggested the emergence of two comparative narratives, with each demonstrated in the stories told by three participants. The first narrative is one of decelerated decline, in which the exercise programme is assimilated or fitted into the existing life narrative, but little is made of the personal meaning of being active. In the second narrative, participation in exercise prompted participants to re-story their ageing narratives, changing from initially accepting the decline they associated with an ageing body, to the prospect of gaining some control. While this increased sense of control may intuitively seem positive, participants initially described a number of existential challenges and dilemmas as well as their resolution of these.ConclusionParticipants' emergent stories highlighted that while older adults may perceive exercise positively, their existing narratives of decline may be resistant to change. Where changes do occur, it is important for health professionals to recognize the associated difficulties with gaining increased responsibility for health.     

Depression, anxiety, hostility, and physical health

This study assessed the relationship of depression, anxiety, and hostility to physical health in a multicultural student population (N=106). When controlling for a variety of demographic and health risk factors (viz., age, sex, body mass, smoking, alcohol, salt, caffeine, and exercise), hostility, depression, and anxiety were related to higher reported incidences of physical symptoms and somatic illness. Depression and hostility had the strongest relationships with physical health, although the most striking single relationship was between depression and illness. Results suggest that it may be premature to focus our attention on hostility in research on the personality-illness relationship. They also suggest that the health behavior model of the relationship between personality and disease does not provide an adequate explanation, since negative affect was significantly associated with illness even when controlling for a variety of health risk factors. This work was supported, in part, by an intramural grant from the University of Hawaii, #R511.     

Depression,anxiety, hostility,and physical health

This study assessed the relationship of depression, anxiety, and hostility to physical health in a multicultural student population (N=106). When controlling for a variety of demographic and health risk factors (viz., age, sex, body mass, smoking, alcohol, salt, caffeine, and exercise), hostility, depression, and anxiety were related to higher reported incidences of physical symptoms and somatic illness. Depression and hostility had the strongest relationships with physical health, although the most striking single relationship was between depression and illness. Results suggest that it may be premature to focus our attention on hostility in research on the personality-illness relationship. They also suggest that the health behavior model of the relationship between personality and disease does not provide an adequate explanation, since negative affect was significantly associated with illness even when controlling for a variety of health risk factors. This work was supported, in part, by an intramural grant from the University of Hawaii, #R511.     

Associations between visual attention,implicit and explicit attitude and behaviour for physical activity

The current study explored associations between previous physical activity and both implicit and explicit attitudes, as well as visual attention and activity motivation (intention). Analyses were performed on participants initially unaware of the physical activity focus of the study (N = 98). Higher levels of physical activity were associated with positive implicit attitudes and an attentional bias towards exercise cues. There was a quadratic (‘U’ shaped) relationship between implicit attitude and attention: the more extreme individuals’ implicit attitudes towards exercise (positive or negative) the greater their attentional bias to exercise cues. Furthermore, explicit attitude moderated the relationship between attentional bias and physical activity: attentional bias to exercise cues was associated with higher levels of physical activity only for those who had a strong positive explicit attitude. Findings suggested that implicit cognitions are linked with previous physical activity. Future research should consider strategies for strengthening positive implicit and explicit attitudes and directing attention to cues signalling healthy behaviour.     

Worse than sticks and stones? Bullying is associated with altered HPA axis functioning and poorer health

Adolescents (N = 107; M = 12.23 years, SD = 1.09 months) participated in a two-part study examining peer victimization, neuroendocrine functioning, and physical health. In phase 1, adolescents completed questionnaires assessing peer victimization and health. They returned for phase 2 which consisted of two sessions. In session 1, adolescents learned to collect salivary cortisol samples; they collected four samples over 2 non-sports school days. In session 2, adolescents completed the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in which they prepared and delivered a speech while cortisol was collected. Peer victimization predicted poor health outcomes and a flattened cortisol awakening response (CAR); this CAR was linked with health problems. During the TSST, victims reported more stress and exhibited altered cortisol levels. Higher cortisol immediately after the stressor and lower cortisol 30 min after the stressor were associated with more health problems. This study provides evidence that the relationship between peer victimization and poor physical health may be explained by differences in neuroendocrine functioning.     

Testing attitudes,social desirability and behavioral regulations as moderators of implicit-explicit exercise discrepancies: A replication study in Iranian students

IntroductionThere is mixed evidence regarding moderators of the relationship between implicitly and explicitly measured constructs. This study examined this issue with evaluations of exercise relative to health or appearance in a sample of Iranian adolescents. Investigaing automatic associations and reflective constructs might provide important implications for developing interventions targeting exercise behavior in a population with different cultural, social, and economic barriers to exercise than European or North American adolescents.MethodsParticipants were 471 students enrolled in grades 9 to 12, of whom 269 (54.9%) were female. Behavioral regulations, explicit attitudes, and social desirability were investigated as possible moderators. All students completed questionnaire measures of physical activity behavior, attitudes, social desieality and behavioral regulation. They also completed two Go/No Go Association tasks to measure automatic associations of exercise with health and apperarance.ResultsAttitude was a significant moderator of discrepancies between automatic associations of exercise with health and health motives. Interjected regulation moderated implicit-explicit appearance discrepancies. Participants with low social desirability and negative automatic appearance associations had the highest appearance motivation.ConclusionsParticipants focused on the potential of achieving positive health outcomes of exercise rather than physical appearance outcomes, which differs from research from other countries. It is possible that, health was strongly linked with exercise by the pervasive societal pressures in Iran to have a healthy body.     

Some correlates of health locus of control among multicultural individuals

The relationship of locus of control to depression, anxiety, hostility, and physical health was assessed in a sample of multicultural college students (N = 162). Powerful Others Health Locus of Control was correlated with depression, anxiety, hostility, and recent physical symptoms while Chance Health Locus of Control (CHLC) was correlated with all of the above as well as chronic physical symptoms and major health problems. When controlling for a variety of health risk factors (viz., age, sex, body mass, exercise, smoking, salt, alcohol, and caffeine), only CHLC remained significant in the physical health models. Results support the cognitive model of mental health which emphasize the importance of adaptive beliefs. Specifically, they suggest that issues about control are related to negative affect and indicate that the often-cited relationship of an external locus of control to depression and anxiety also holds for hostility. The findings do not, however, support the view that anxiety and depression are associated with different types of external locus of control but rather suggest a unified set of locus of control beliefs underlying the three types of negative affect. In addition, evidence is provided for the external validity of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scales with respect to mental health. Further, the results indicate that belief about one’s health may play a significant role in one’s physical health and that the health behavior model of the relationship between locus of control and physical health is insufficient to explain the relationship. As the Chance and Powerful Others MHLC scales were not related to health habits in this sample but were related to mental health (viz., depression, anxiety, and hostility), locus of control beliefs may be related to physical health via their relationship with mental health.     

The Mediation Effect of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms on the Relationship of Intimate Partner Violence and IFN-γ Levels

Background: Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) report greater stress and negative health consequences than nonabused women. Although an association between psychological stress and altered immune function has been shown, IPV studies have not investigated this relationship. Objective: This study explored the association of IPV with mental health symptoms and an immune marker to determine if posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms mediate the effect of IPV on pro-inflammatory (IFN-γ) cytokine levels. Methods: A cross-sectional, comparative design was used to compare 62 women with IPV and 39 nonabused women. Results: Mean IFN-γ values were higher in abused women and in women with current PTSD symptoms. There were no significant relationships with potential confounding variables that could provide an alternative explanation for the increase in production of proinflammatory cytokines. Conclusions: PTSD symptoms mediate the association between IPV and IFN-γ levels and may partially explain the association of mental health symptoms with physical health sequelae in IPV.     

The roles of exercise tolerance and resilience in the effect of physical activity on emotional states among college students

Background/objectiveNegative emotional states, such as depression, anxiety, and stress challenge health care due to their long-term consequences for mental disorders. Accumulating evidence indicates that regular physical activity (PA) can positively influence negative emotional states. Among possible candidates, resilience and exercise tolerance in particular have the potential to partly explain the positive effects of PA on negative emotional states. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between PA and negative emotional states, and further determine the mediating effects of exercise tolerance and resilience in such a relationship.MethodIn total, 1117 Chinese college students (50.4% female, M_age=18.90, SD=1.25) completed a psychosocial battery, including the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Preference for and Tolerance of the Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire (PRETIE-Q), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form (IPAQ-SF). Regression analysis was used to identify the serial multiple mediation, controlling for gender, age and BMI.ResultsPA, exercise intensity-tolerance, and resilience were significantly negatively correlated with negative emotional states (Ps<.05). Further, exercise tolerance and resilience partially mediated the relationship between PA and negative emotional states.ConclusionsResilience and exercise intensity-tolerance can be achieved through regularly engaging in PA, and these newly observed variables play critical roles in prevention of mental illnesses, especially college students who face various challenges. Recommended amount of PA should be incorporated into curriculum or sport clubs within a campus environment.     

The Effects of Work-Related and Boundary-Related Stress on the Emotional and Physical Health Status of Ordained Clergy

This research is the second component of a three-part series that explores the relationship between stress and health in the clerical profession. The first article (Wells, Journal of Religion and Health 51(1):215–30, 2012) determined that there is an association between two different sources of stress in the clerical profession (work-related stress and boundary-related stress). This research explores the association between these two sources of stress and two different measures of health (emotional health and physical health). Utilizing the same dataset from the previous research (Wells, Journal of Religion and Health 51(1):215–30, 2012), and simple and multiple regression, this research determined that there is a positive association between the two sources of stress (work-related stress and boundary-related stress) and the two measures of health (physical health and emotional health). African-American and obese clergy exhibited lower levels of physical health as stress increased. Clergy with children and those with higher levels of education exhibited lower levels of emotional health as stress increased. African-American clergy consistently exhibited higher levels of emotional health than their White colleagues did. Finally, age and length of time in ministry are associated with higher levels of emotional health but lower physical health status.     

Worksite Stress Management with High-Risk Maintenance Workers: A Controlled Study

This study evaluated effects of a worksite stress management/health promotion program with primarily minority blue-collar employees showing a number of high-risk health behaviors. In a biopsychosocial approach, participants were assessed with a standardized health risk appraisal that included physical and behavioral variables, plus measures of self-control, health attitudes/satisfaction, and other factors. A controlled group design was employed with pretreatment, treatment, posttreatment, and three-month follow-up. Participants were randomly assigned to a wait-listed control group (n = 26) and a health promotion intervention group (n = 24). The latter received a multimodal intervention including stress management training, educational workshops and counseling, and a self-directed behavior change program. Following posttreatment assessment, the control subjects were given treatment and their data were then added to that of the initial treatment group to comprise a total group of treatment finishers (n = 33). The results revealed a number of significant differences between the two groups at posttreatment and/or for the treatment finishers across time (pretreatment vs. posttreatment and/or follow-up), including certain of the physical and behavioral measures, self-efficacy, and some health attitudes, but no effects for job-related measures, such as absenteeism and job satisfaction.