Julia Jung

Exploring the association between social capital and depressive symptoms: results of a survey in German information and communication technology companies.

Objective: This study examines the association between social capital at work and depressive symptoms in employees. Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study were collected through an online survey with the full population of employees from six companies in the German information and communication technology sector (response rate: 58.4%). A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Results of data from a total of 328 employees suggest that, after controlling for sociodemographic factors, health awareness, and job strain, lower levels of perceived social capital at work are associated with the experience of depressive symptoms (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.64–0.90). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that characteristics of high social capital at work, such as an established environment of trust and a sense of common values and convictions, could be an essential resource for preventing depressive disorders.

The relationship between perceived social capital and the health promotion willingness of companies: a systematic telephone survey with chief executive officers in the information and communication technology sector.

Objective: This study examines the association between perceived social capital and health promotion willingness (HPW) of companies from a chief executive officers perspective. Methods: Data for the cross-sectional study were collected through telephone interviews with one chief executive officer from randomly selected companies within the German information and communication technology sector. A hierarchical multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: Results of the logistic regression analysis of data from a total of n = 522 interviews suggest that higher values of perceived social capital are associated with pronounced HPW in companies (odds ratio = 3.78; 95% confidence intervals, 2.24 to 6.37). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that characteristics of high social capital, such as an established environment of trust as well as a feeling of common values and convictions could help promote HPW.

Organizational factors and the attitude toward health promotion in German ICT-companies

This study takes a first step toward examining the relationship between organizational characteristics and the perceived attitude toward health promotion in companies from the perspective of chief executive officers (CEOs). Data for the cross-sectional study were collected through telephone interviews with one CEO from randomly selected companies within the German information and communication technology (ICT) sector. Multivariate logistic regression analysis (LRA) was performed, and further LRA was conducted after stratifying on company size. LRA of data from a total of n = 522 interviews found significant associations between the attitude toward health promotion and the companys market position, its number of hierarchical levels, the percentage of permanent positions and the percentage of employees with an academic education. After stratification on company size, the association between the attitude toward health promotion and both market position and the percentage of employees with an academic education was still present in small companies. There were no significant relationships between the attitude toward health promotion and the structural characteristics of medium-sized and large companies. The preliminary results of the study indicate that a perceived attitude toward health promotion in companies can be explained, to a certain degree, by the intraorganizational characteristics analyzed. Our key findings highlight that efforts toward establishing a positive attitude toward health promotion should focus on small companies with a lower market position and a greater number of employees with a lower education level.

The influence of transformational leadership on employee well-being: results from a survey of companies in the information and communication technology sector in Germany.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a transformational leadership style on employee well-being. Methods: Data for the study were taken from an on-line survey of all employees from six German companies in the information and communication technology sector. The data obtained were analyzed using multiple logistic regressions. Results: Analysis of data from a total of 318 employees (response rate 58.4%) revealed a significant relationship between transformational leadership and employee well-being (P = 0.00; OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.22). A higher degree of perceived transformational leadership is associated with greater well-being. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that a transformational leadership style, which both conveys a sense of trust and meaningfulness and individually challenges and develops employees, also has a positive effect on employee well-being.

The association between active participation in a sports club, physical activity and social network on the development of lung cancer in smokers: a case-control study.

BackgroundThis study analyses the effect of active participation in a sports club, physical activity and social networks on the development of lung cancer in patients who smoke. Our hypothesis is that study participants who lack social networks and do not actively participate in a sports club are at a greater risk for lung cancer than those who do.MethodsData for the study were taken from the Co logne Smo king S tudy (CoSmoS), a retrospective case-control study examining potential psychosocial risk factors for the development of lung cancer. Our sample consisted of n = 158 participants who had suffered lung cancer (diagnosis in the patient document) and n = 144 control group participants. Both groups had a history of smoking.Data on social networks were collected by asking participants whether they participated in a sports club and about the number of friends and relatives in their social environment. In addition, sociodemographic data (gender, age, education, marital status, residence and religion), physical activity and data on pack years (the cumulative number of cigarettes smoked by an individual, calculated by multiplying the number of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked divided by 20) were collected to control for potential confounders. Logistic regression was used for the statistical analysis.ResultsThe results reveal that participants who are physically active are at a lower risk of lung cancer than those who are not (adjusted OR = 0.53*; CI = 0.29-0.97). Older age and lower education seem also to be risk factors for the development of lung cancer. The extent of smoking, furthermore, measured by pack years is statistically significant. Active participation in a sports club, number of friends and relatives had no statistically significant influence on the development of the cancer.ConclusionsThe results of the study suggest that there is a lower risk for physically active participants to develop lung cancer. In the study sample, physical activity seemed to have a greater protective effect than participation in a sports club or social network of friends and relatives. Further studies have to investigate in more detail physical activity and other club participations.

Can a stressed oncologist be good in a consultation? A qualitative study on the oncologists' perception

The aim of this exploratory study was to examine how the working conditions and job stress of private practice oncologists (PPOs) affect their interaction with patients. Data for the study were collected through semi-structured interviews with PPOs selected based on purposeful sampling criteria. The data were evaluated using content analysis. Factors perceived by PPOs to influence their level of stress and patient care were some of their own personal characteristics as well as working conditions both within and outside their practices. Apart from being able to name specific stressors (e.g., dysfunctional organisational workflow and interruptions during medical encounters), the oncologists also mentioned individual and organisational resources (e.g., professional experience, well-educated nurses and good work organisation) for coping with job stress and improving interaction with patients. Within this study, we identified some obstacles on the individual and organisational level for good patient care, as working conditions which might lead to time pressure and stress, which subsequently have an impact on quality in patient care (e.g., less time for personal issues during patient consultations). Future stress research should conduct a more in-depth investigation of these and other interventions at both the individual and organisational levels in order to improve patient care.

In-house information about and contact with self-help groups in breast cancer patients: associated with patient and hospital characteristics?

The number of breast cancer patients who are informed about and have contact with patient self-help groups (SHGs) during their hospital stay varies across hospitals. The aim of this study is to investigate which patient and hospital characteristics contribute to these differences. Multilevel regression analysis was applied, using data on hospital characteristics and data from a patient survey, which catalogued the disease and socio-demographic characteristics of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, and recorded if they were informed about and had contact with SHGs during their hospital stay. Data from 2639 patients from 82 hospitals were analysed. The odds of being informed about SHGs were significantly lower if patients were treated at a teaching hospital. Patients aged 40 to 59 years significantly more often reported that they were informed about SHGs than patients aged 60 to 69 years. Patients with the highest education certificates significantly more often reported that they both were informed about and have had contact with SHGs. These results suggest that in teaching hospitals, information provided to patients about SHGs is reduced. Furthermore, patients are differentially given information about SHGs and have different levels of contact with SHGs, based on their age and education.

Social capital and quality emphasis: A cross-sectional multicenter study in German hospitals

Abstract Background The health services sector is focusing increasingly on the concept of quality management to assure a high-standard and patient-centred care. The successful implementation of quality management in hospitals requires quality emphasis of all team members. Research has shown that aspects of organizational culture in hospitals are related to the quality of care. Objective Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the relationship between social capital as aspect of organizational culture and the level of quality emphasis. Design A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted in German hospitals. Data of 959 nurses were collected in a standardized postal survey. Results In logistic regression analysis three independent variables are significantly associated with quality emphasis: professional experience, social capital, and male gender. Social capital is the central predictor of quality emphasis explaining 27% of the variance in the model. Conclusion Our results underline the importance of social capital for the development of quality emphasis among nursing teams in hospitals. Common values and trust are strongly associated with the quality emphasis and could be essential for the continuous quality improvement of care.

Patients’ Trust in Physician, Patient Enablement, and Health-Related Quality of Life During Colon Cancer Treatment

In cancer care, where patients and their families experience significant emotional distress and patients have to deal with complex medical information, patient centeredness is an important aspect of quality of care. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of patients’ trust in their oncologists and patients’ enablement on changes in health-related quality of life of colon cancer patients during follow-up care. We conducted a prospective study in a representative sample of private practices of German oncologists (N = 44). Patients (N = 131) filled out a standardized questionnaire prior to their first consultation (T0), directly after the first consultation (T1) and after two months (T2). Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. Significant associations were found between trust in physician and changes in physical functioning between T1 and T2, and between trust in physician and patient enablement. Patient enablement is significantly associated with changes in physical functioning between T1 and T2. The results underline the importance of building a close and trustful patient-physician relationship in the oncology encounter. A central mechanism of the association between the quality of the relationship and health outcomes seems to be patient enablement. To enable patients to cope with their situation by making them understand their diagnosis, treatments, and side effects can impact health-related quality of life in physical domains.

Validation of the Work-Life Balance Culture Scale (WLBCS)

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this paper is to describe the theoretical development and initial validation of the newly developed Work-Life Balance Culture Scale (WLBCS), an instrument for measuring an organizational culture that promotes the work-life balance of employees. METHODS In Study 1 (N=498), the scale was developed and its factorial validity tested through exploratory factor analyses. In Study 2 (N=513), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to examine model fit and retest the dimensional structure of the instrument. To assess construct validity, a priori hypotheses were formulated and subsequently tested using correlation analyses. RESULTS Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a one-factor model. Results of the bivariate correlation analyses may be interpreted as preliminary evidence of the scales construct validity. CONCLUSION The five-item WLBCS is a new and efficient instrument with good overall quality. Its conciseness makes it particularly suitable for use in employee surveys to gain initial insight into a companys perceived work-life balance culture.