Health related behaviours and stress Katherine Chaplin.

Health related behaviours and stress

Katherine Chaplin

What is meant by Health-related behaviours?

4 key behavioural areas which have been identified

Alcohol consumption Levels of consumption, under-age, pregnancy

Smoking behaviour Non specific, pregnancy, around children

Physical activity Levels of exercise, frequency of exercise

Food choice Consider both health and unhealthy behaviours

Health-related behaviours and work stress

Mildly energetic exercise at least 3 times a week

Low stress

High stress

62%

52%

<7 hours sleep on an average week night

Low stress

High stress

33%

46%

Smokers Low stress

High stress

27%

33%

Drink alcohol 4 weekdays Low stress

High stress

15%

21%

Never eat breakfast cereal Low stress

High stress

19%

26%

Breakfast and mental health

Breakfast and mental health

Study details Demographics:

Conducted with the Royal College of Nursing N = 870 91% female Mean age 44 years ranging from 22 to 67

Measures used: Breakfast consumption measured on a 5 point scale from never to

everyday Unhealthy snack consumption based on the amount of chocolate,

crisps and cakes eaten per week Levels of work stress measured on a 5 point scale from not at all to

extremely Mean depression scores based on the Hospital Anxiety and

Depression Scale Number of minor injuries measured on a 5 point scale from not at all

to very frequently

Breakfast, snacking and work stress% reporting never or rarely experiencing work stress

54

56

58

60

62

64

66

68

70

72

74

Occasional Daily

Breakfast

Daily breakfast consumption associated with lower levels of work stress

Frequent unhealthy snacking associated with higher levels of work stress

% reporting never or rarely experience work stress

54

56

58

60

62

64

66

68

70

72

74

Occasional Frequent

unhealthy snack

Breakfast, snacking and depression

Depression

2

3

4

5

6

Occasional Daily

Breakfast

Depression

2

3

4

5

6

Occasional Frequent

Unhealthy snack

Daily breakfast consumption associated with lower depression Frequent unhealthy snacking associated with increased depression

Breakfast, snacking and minor injuries

% reporting no minor injuries at work

0

10

20

30

40

50

occasional frequent

Unhealthy snacking

% reporting no minor injuries at work

0

10

20

30

40

50

occasional daily

breakfast

Daily breakfast consumption associated with fewer minor injuries at work

Frequent unhealthy snacking associated with more minor injuries at work

Conclusions

Determining causality For example, does breakfast decrease work stress or does work stress

influence breakfast consumption How can we address this?

dose response change over time interventions

Have these measures been used previously? All of these measures have been used for stress and mental health

outcomes in general Intervention studies are now required to examine occupational measures

What should future studies look at? Are changes in health-related behaviours early indicators of the impact of

stress or does stress reflect health-related behaviours? If the latter is true then changing these health-related behaviours could reduce stress