Professional Doctorate theses
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Item The psychological and social processes influencing health and safety in small to medium-sized enterprises(Queen Margaret University, 2009) Dieghan, CarolynAIM: Small and medium sized enterprises have notable difficulties in engaging with health and safety activity and experience proportionally higher levels of accidents than larger businesses. SMEs have also been described as problematic to access for research and intervention purposes. The aim of this research was to investigate the role of psychosocial factors in health and safety behaviour among small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs). METHODOLOGY: The research employed a mixed method design over two phases of study. In the first phase, fifty semi-structured telephone interviews were used to derive behaviours that the SMEs considered relevant to their type of business. In addition, the SMEs provided views on the rationale for, perceived effectiveness and facilitators of health and safety behaviour they had undertaken. In the second phase, a questionnaire survey was conducted using key SME health and safety behaviours and health and safety-related attitudes derived from the telephone interviews and key theoretical construct domains. Three hundred and thirteen SMEs completed questionnaires distributed at trade shows in Scotland and England. RESULTS: Overall, the level of health & safety activity undertaken by SMEs was reported to be low (with 59% spending one hour or less in a typical week according to questionnaire responses, the figure was 60% for the telephone interviews). Smaller businesses notably the micro business, spent significantly less time on health and safety activity compared with larger organisations. Those spending approximately one day per week or more on health and safety activity were found to be the largest SMEs in the sample. Hierarchical regressions performed on the survey data highlighted five key predictors of health and safety activity. These were positive and negative beliefs regarding resources, relationships with suppliers, and decision making by middle and junior level staff. It is notable that after taking into account the influence of the size of the company, these factors remained of significant importance. This suggests that the influence of these factors persist despite previous findings related to the size of the SME. Results also suggest that beliefs associated with the consequences of health & safety behaviour tend to lead to increased activity. Further, organisational design was found to mediate this effect. CONCLUSION: Interventions designed to increase health and safety in SMEs would be advised to take into account the psychosocial influences on health and safety behaviour, in particular those highlighted in this study, as these may have implications for uptake and sustainability of any new initiatives requiring such activity.Item Exploring psychosocial risk factors for stroke in young women exposed to domestic violence(Queen Margaret University, 2009) Smith, YvonneBackground and purpose: The incidence of stroke is projected to increase worldwide and reduction of risk of the first stroke is therefore important. First stroke in young women often poses a diagnostic challenge but it has been suggested the risk is associated with hightened exposure to domestic abuse. This UK study was conducted to determine the incidence and examine the predisposing risk factors for early stroke in young women suffering domestic violence. The effect of a range of psychosocial variables and health behaviours on the incidence of strokes in young women in an abusive relationship is assessed. Methods: A cross-sectional survey collected information by self-report questionnaires on 237 women aged 18-56 exposed to domestic violence. The survey instrument measured the negative consequences of abuse and comprised demographic information, health status assessment, physical health illnesses and history of abuse. The GHQ-12 a stress measure was employed to gauge the effects of exposure to threatening life events. Correlational analyses and factor analysis were performed. Data was matched for women aged 20-44 with the average annual incidence rates of risk of first stroke in young women according to the Oxford Vascular stroke project register Results and conclusions: Unsurprisingly, a high incidence of depression was found in this study even when the majority of women were on medication. A number of high-risk behaviours were also associated with strangulation, alongside the physical trauma. The incidence of first stroke found in the study was 5 cases classified as 3 ischemic and 2 hemorrhagic strokes, such a high frequency has not previously been described in the research literature. According to Oxford data the incidence of stroke among women aged 20-44 in the UK is 0.14/1000 per year. Stroke sub-type incidence rates were found to be 10 fold increased risk for ischemic and 15 fold increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke compared with the matched control. Trauma was found to be the most common predisposing factor to stroke other reported risk factors to increase the risk of stroke included poor health profile, migraine, and heavy alcohol consumption. These incidence rates may be underestimates as a consequence of women not attending for medical care, hence tragically managing stroke-related symptoms in the home. However, due to the small numbers of stroke victims the results must be viewed with caution.Item An investigation into the effects of the Scottish smoking ban(Queen Margaret University, 2009) Musiello, ToniAim. This study examined the effects of the Scottish smoke-free legislation on smokers’ behaviours and attitudes using the transtheoretical model of change (TTM) as a framework. Design and participants. A longitudinal design was employed and data was collected from 127 Scottish smokers prior to the smoking ban introduction (T1), and at three (T2) and six (T3) months after the ban had been implemented. Findings. Results demonstrated that smokers failed to decrease their cigarette consumption when pre and post ban rates were compared. After the introduction of the ban, positive attitudes towards the smokefree legislation increased by 20%. Whilst processes of change were used less frequently in the precontemplation stage, and increased in the contemplation and preparation stage, the results did not support the changes hypothesised by stage classification. Furthermore, no differences in the pros of smoking were observed between the stages. However the cons of smoking were rated as less important by those in the precontemplation stage (F(2,122) = 20.871, p = .001, partial η² = .26). Conclusion. Whilst findings obtained in relation to attitudes towards smoking were promising, results failed to support the theoretical predictions of the TTM and advocate its use as an explanatory framework for behavioural change. In general, findings failed to corroborate the notion of distinct and quantitative stages of change.