Health, job stress and psychological defense in physically active and inactive subjects

Abstract

The relationships between levels of physical activity and self‐reports of health complaints, job stress and psychological defense were investigated in a broad screening on clerical workers in an insurance company (n= 171). The workers were divided into 4 groups, based on self‐reports of self‐administered leisure physical activity or sports. The highly physically active group (n= 43) had 3 or more sessions of at least 45 min regular physical exercise per week. The moderately active group (n= 31) had 1–2 sessions, the seldom active group (n= 31) less than 1 session per week and the totally inactive group (n= 66). The moderately active subjects reported significantly lower levels of subjective health complaints, including anxiety and depression, and higher job satisfaction than the seldom active and inactive subjects. There did not seem to be any additional benefits related to subjectively reported health or job stress in the group having 3 or more exercise sessions per week. The activity groups also differed with regard to psychological defense mechanisms. The highly active group showed more compensation than less active groups, and the inactive had more projection than the other groups. Projection was related to subjective health complaints.

Perceived barriers to physical activity across Norwegian adult age groups, gender and stages of change

“…Consistent with previous research, more women than men experienced higher numbers of barriers, and reported health barriers, practical barriers and priority barriers to be of importance (Jaffe et al, 1999; Sternfeld et al, 1999; Artazcoz et al, 2001). It is also consistent with other research that females report more health complaints than men (Grønningsæter et al, 1991). These results probably reflect differences in the life situations of women and men.…”

Defensive Functioning Moderates the Effects of Nondirective Meditation

“…In a Norwegian non-clinical sample ( n = 704), the total defense score was 27.78 (8.5; Endresen, 1991 ), indicating that these data were in the same range as in the present study. Another Norwegian non-clinical sample had total scores in the same range ( Grønningsæter et al, 1991 ). In comparison, a group of normal elderly persons had a total score of 34.90 (SD 10.48) ( Conte and Plutchik, 1995 , p. 188); and a group of non-clinical, healthy adolescents 48.88 (SD 29.77; Conte and Plutchik, 1995 , p. 193), i.e., the young group used more defenses than the adults in our sample and the sample of elderly persons.…”

De relatie tussen zelfcontrole en diverse werkuitkomsten

“…Onderzoek laat zien dat werknemers die fysiek actief zijn of een hogere slaapkwaliteit hebben, meer tevreden zijn over hun werk (Grønningsaeter, Christensen, Larsen & Ursin, 1991;Raggatt, 1991). Daarentegen zijn werknemers die roken, alcohol consumeren en een lage slaapkwaliteit hebben, juist minder tevreden over het werk (Alexander & Beck, 1990;Raggatt, 1991;Scott & Judge, 2006).…”