Workplace-Related Factors Associated With Employees' Standing Time at Work: A Research Brief.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between work-related, individual, and environmental factors and self-reported standing time during the workday. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study design. SETTING: Participants were recruited from a large, public university in the southeastern United States. MEASURES: Data were collected through an 87-item online survey using previously validated scales that assessed workplace standing time, demographic variables, work-related psychosocial factors, and workplace environment factors. ANALYSIS: One-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and nonparametric tests were used to determine univariate relationships between standing time and independent work-related variables and demographic factors. RESULTS: Mean standing time among the sample (n = 502) was 72.49 minutes (standard deviation = 73.48) daily. There was a significant relationship between standing time and barrier self-efficacy for standing at work, self-regulation strategies, social norms, local connectivity in the workplace, overall connectivity in the workplace, and proximity of coworkers. Standing time was significantly higher for men, employees with an advanced degree, employees with a standing desk, and faculty. CONCLUSION: Health promotion researchers and practitioners should consider factors at multiple levels of influence when designing studies to explore workplace sedentary behavior. The findings regarding variations in workplace behavior by employee subgroups should be taken into consideration when designing future studies in the workplace.

Ecological Influences on Employees' Workplace Sedentary Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between ecological factors and occupational sedentary behavior (SB). DESIGN: Cross-sectional online survey. SETTING: Participants were employees recruited from a large, public university in the Southeastern United States from August to November 2016. PARTICIPANTS: The final sample included 527 (56% response rate) employees. MEASURES: Data were collected through an 87-item survey using previously validated scales that assessed occupational SB, perceived behavioral control, barrier self-efficacy, self-regulation strategies, organizational social norms, office environment, and worksite climate. ANALYSIS: One-way analysis of variance analyses were used to determine differences in occupational SB by demographic factors. A multivariate regression model was used to determine significant ecological determinants of occupational SB. RESULTS: Mean SB was 342.45 (standard deviation = 133.25) minutes. Significant differences in SB were found by gender, education, and employment classification. Barrier self-efficacy and workplace connectivity, which evaluates the spatial layout of the office setting that may impact mobility within the workplace, were significant predictors of SB in the multivariate model. CONCLUSION: Results from this study provide new information regarding the potential impact of workplace barriers and connectivity on occupational SB. The findings from this study support the inclusion of intervention modalities to minimize workplace barriers and increase workplace connectivity to increase workplace mobility and decrease SB.

"Drunkorexia": Understanding eating and physical activity behaviors of weight conscious drinkers in a sample of college students.

OBJECTIVE: Behaviors of weight conscious drinkers (BWCD) include disordered eating, excessive physical activity (PA), and heavy episodic drinking. Considering that approximately 25% of the college students report BWCD, it is important to investigate what characteristics increase the likelihood of college students engaged in BWCD for both moderate and vigorous PAs. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 510 college students were recruited from a large, public southeastern university. METHODS: Participants completed a cross-sectional survey during the spring 2015 semester. RESULTS: Of 510 respondents, 11.2% reported moderate PA-based BWCD and 14.7% reported vigorous PA-based BWCD. Weight loss intention, BMI and Greek affiliation predicted both moderate and vigorous BWCD. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings suggest that Greek-affiliated students and students with weight loss intentions might be at an increased risk for BWCD. Along with promoting lower levels of alcohol consumption, college practitioners should consider discussing issues of weight and body image with college students as they relate to maladaptive drinking behavior.

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict HPV vaccination intentions of college men.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs in predicting human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination behavioral intentions of vaccine-eligible college men. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were unvaccinated college men aged 18-26 years attending a large public university in the southeastern United States during Spring 2015. METHODS: A nonexperimental, cross-sectional study design was employed. Instrumentation comprised a qualitative elicitation study, expert panel review, pilot test, test-retest, and internal consistency, construct validity, and predictive validity assessments using data collected from an online self-report questionnaire. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 256 college men, and the final structural model exhibited acceptable fit of the data. Attitude toward the behavior (ß = .169) and subjective norm (ß = 0.667) were significant predictors of behavioral intention, accounting for 58% of its variance. CONCLUSIONS: Practitioners may utilize this instrument for the development and evaluation of TPB-based interventions to increase HPV vaccination intentions of undergraduate college men.

The diversion of stimulant medications among a convenience sample of college students with current prescriptions.

Diversion is defined as the unlawful channeling of regulated pharmaceuticals from legal sources to the illicit marketplace. Persons with legal prescriptions often give away or sell their medications to others. The misuse of prescription stimulant medications continues to be a problem on college campuses and a need to understand how students are obtaining stimulant medications exists. The object of the study was to identify the prevalence, correlates, and motivations associated with diversion of prescription stimulants among current prescription holders. A large sample of undergraduates (n = 1,022) between the ages of 18 and 24 enrolled at a large public university in the southeastern United States completed an in class questionnaire. Among those respondents, we identified 151 current stimulant prescription holders and analyzed the prevalence, motivations, and correlates associated with lifetime and current diversion. Overall, 58.9% of current prescription holders had given away or sold their stimulant medication during their lifetime. Those with a history of nonmedical use of prescription stimulants were almost 5 times more likely to divert their medication during their lifetime. The majority of those engaging in lifetime and current diversion medication did so infrequently. The most common motivations reported for both lifetime and current diversion were "to make extra money" and to "help during a time of high academic stress." Students who reported a history of prescription misuse were also more likely to engage in current diversion. Diversion-related behaviors should be explored further and programs aimed at the reducing these behaviors should be considered.

Gender differences in college leisure time physical activity: application of the theory of planned behavior and integrated behavioral model.

OBJECTIVE: National data consistently report that males participate in leisure time physical activity (LTPA) at higher rates than females. This study expanded previous research to examine gender differences in LTPA of college students using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by including 2 additional constructs, descriptive norm and self-efficacy, from the integrated behavioral model. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were college students (N = 621) from a large public university in the southeastern United States. METHODS: A self-report, classroom-based assessment with validated and reliable measures of LTPA, TPB constructs, descriptive norm, self-efficacy, and demographics was conducted in fall 2009. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed attitude (ß = .119), intention (ß = .438), self-efficacy (ß = .166), body mass index (BMI) (ß = -.084), and sports participation (ß = .081) as significantly associated with LTPA for females (R (2) = .425, p < .001), whereas intention (ß = .371) was significant for males (R (2) = .202, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Practitioners should consider tailoring promotional materials to address these gender differences in efforts to increase LTPA participation among college students.

Social modeling influences and alcohol consumption during the first semester of college: a natural history study.

The authors examine both the alcohol consumption pattern of freshmen students during their first semester and the degree to which social modeling of peer behavior impacts consumption. A total of 534 students, residing on campus, were prospectively examined at four 30-day intervals. Data were evaluated on the basis of age, gender, and the effects of time using generalized estimating equations (GEEs). Results reflected nonsignificant increases in the amount of alcohol consumed; however, affiliations with alcohol-consuming peer groups was significantly associated with increased alcohol consumption. The mean number of drinks consumed in the past 30 days remained the same for whites (χ(2) = 3.35, 3 df, P = .3411) but increased slightly for blacks (χ(2) = 7.99, 3 df, P = .0462). Prevention programs should include screening for growth in alcohol consumption among first-year university students, and such screenings should include the extent and nature of affiliation with peers who consume alcohol.

Challenges and recommendations to enforcement of alcohol policies on college campuses: an administrator's perspective.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine challenges and recommendations (identified by college administrators) to enforcing alcohol policies implemented at colleges in the southeastern United States. METHODS: Telephone interviews were conducted with 71 individuals at 21 institutions. RESULTS: Common challenges included inconsistent enforcement, mixed messages received by students, and students' attitudes toward alcohol use. The most common recommendations were ensuring a comprehensive approach, collaboration with members of the community, and enhanced alcohol education.

Alcohol use and high-risk sexual behavior among collegiate women: a review of research on alcohol myopia theory.

UNLABELLED: A review of current English literature in the areas of high-risk alcohol use and sexual behavior was conducted from September 2007 to December 2008. OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to specifically review studies that used alcohol myopia theory (AMT) as the theoretical perspective from which they were evaluated and analyzed. PARTICIPANTS: Collegiate women were the population of interest in the review. METHODS: Literature was acquired through searches within the Academic Search Premier and PubMed databases using the keywords "college," "women," "risk," "alcohol," "sex," and "alcohol myopia." RESULTS: RESULTS articulate the high prevalence of negative sexual consequences related to alcohol use among college-aged women and the utility of AMT. CONCLUSIONS: Future interventions aimed at decreasing high-risk alcohol and sexual behaviors among college women should incorporate AMT. Continued theory-based research examining the relationship between alcohol use and sexual behavior is needed to inform future interventions and better understand why college women continue to consume high levels of alcohol and engage in risky sexual behaviors despite the threat of negative consequences.

Validation of the Drinking Context Scale (DCS-9) for use with non-adjudicated first-year college students.

The Drinking Context Scale (DCS-9) has been used to measure the impact of drinking during social, emotional, and situational contexts. Psychometric properties remain unevaluated in a population of non-adjudicated first-year college students in the southeast. Liseral 8.8 was used to test the factorial validity of the DCS, using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The original three factor model for the DCS represented acceptable fit to the data (chi(2)=36.72, df=24, p=0.047, CFI=0.991, SRMR=.0406) supporting its use with first-year college students. Invariance between gender, ethnic group, and geographical regions should be examined by future researchers.

Validation of the College Alcohol Problem Scale-revised (CAPS-r) for use with non-adjudicated first-year students.

First-year students in transition to college are at increased risk for consuming greater amounts of alcohol and are subject to subsequent alcohol-related problems. The 8-item College Alcohol Problem Scale-revised (CAPS-r) has been used to measure alcohol-related problems in adjudicated undergraduates and psychology majors. However, structural validity of the CAPS-r has not been examined in a general first-year student population. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the structural validity of this two-factor model using LISREL 8.5. The original two-factor measurement model for the 8-item CAPS-r represented acceptable fit to the data (chi(2)=37.52, df=19, p=.007, CFI=.968, SRMR=.0449), supporting its use with first-year college students. Future studies need to examine invariance across ethnic, gender, and geographical groups.

Drinking likelihood, alcohol problems, and peer influence among first-year college students.

Excessive alcohol consumption is a predominant health concern on college campuses in the United States. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to examine the predictive values of demographic factors in relation to alcohol subscales (Drinking Context Scale, College Alcohol Problems Scale-revised, and Social Modeling Scale) with the outcome of number of drinking days in the past 30 days among a sample (n = 224) of first-year college students. The final model predicted 37.5% of the variability in drinking days in the past month. All variables, except for race, were significantly associated with the outcome (p < .05).

Prevalence of impaired driving behaviors in a diverse, rural, southern middle school.

Little research has been reported on the risky behaviors of pre-driving adolescents revolving around alcohol use, in particular impaired driving behaviors, which in general have been shown to be higher in rural areas. This study investigated the prevalence of drinking while driving and riding with a drinking driver among 290 middle school students in a Mississippi Delta area middle school. Just under half (45.3%) responded that at least once in the past 30 days they had ridden with a drinking driver and 17% indicated they had driven an automobile after drinking alcohol. The prevalence of underage drinking, driving under the influence of alcohol, and riding with a drinking driver among our sample of middle school students is alarming. This study shows alcohol-related driving behaviors are not solely performed by those who are legally licensed to drive, but simply by those who have access to vehicles. The authors recommend that prevention programs focusing on reducing the incidence of impaired driving should start in early adolescence.

Drinking locations prior to impaired driving among college students: implications for prevention.

Drinking and driving is perhaps the most serious problem associated with heavy drinking among college students in the United States. In this study, the authors examined drinking locations prior to impaired driving in a college student sample. They administered the Impaired Driving Assessment to 91 college students identified as high risk for drinking and driving. Participants reported an average of 7.98 (SD = 7.67) impaired driving episodes during the past 5 weeks. Using a random effects model, the authors found that location was a significant predictor of blood alcohol content (BAC), F(6,89.6) = 3.62, p = 0.0029. After drinking alcohol at a party, students' average estimated BAC prior to driving (geometric M = 0.089) was significantly greater than all other drinking locations (geometric M = 0.033). The findings of this study provide insight into drinking locations prior to impaired driving and can be used by college health practitioners to develop appropriate interventions to reduce the magnitude of this problem.