Understanding the health behaviors of India’s information technology and business process outsourcing employees

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the behaviors of India’s information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) employees in relation to diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and social habits. Design/methodology/approach – This was a qualitative research study, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Descriptive data were collected from a two-stage purposive sample of 28 IT-BPO employees from three IT companies and two BPOs in Bangalore, India. Findings – The majority of interviewees reported having an unhealthy diet and/or sedentary lifestyle. Lack of time due to demanding work schedules was the largest barrier to diet and exercise. Call-centers were described as a social environment with a young workforce. Research limitations/implications – Given the qualitative study design and limited sampling frame, results may not be generalizable. However, the qualitative data suggests that India’s young IT-BPO employees may be at greater risk of lifestyle-related diseases than the general population. The data also suggests that interventions incorporating social influence may be a promising solution, particularly at international call centers. Originality/value – There is a lack of literature on the lifestyle of IT-BPO employees in India. The results from this study provide qualitative insight on the motives for health behaviors of IT-BPO employees, as well as the barriers and facilitators for leading a healthy lifestyle in this industry. The findings provide the framework for future workplace wellness interventions.

Fatores de risco psicossocial, estresse e saúde em agentes de limpeza terceirizados

“…Como consequência, o ritmo de trabalho tornou-se acelerado e foi percebida pressão constante para a realização das atividades de forma satisfatória no tempo estipulado (Hechanova, 2013;Jain et al, 2013;Kesavachandran et al, 2006;Nadeem, 2009;Raja & Bhasin, 2014), sendo que alguns trabalhadores relataram não terem tempo suficiente para realizar suas refeições (Ram et al, 2014), fazer intervalos (D'Cruz & Noronha, 2008) ou interagir com os colegas de trabalho (Taylor et al, 2013).…”

“…Questões relacionadas ao horário de trabalho foram identificadas como prejudiciais aos trabalhadores, sendo o número extenso de horas de trabalho e o trabalho noturno os principais fatores de risco psicossocial apontados nos estudos (Budhwar et al, 2009;D'Cruz & Noronha, 2008;Hechanova, 2013;Nadeem, 2009;Ram et al, 2014;Taylor et al, 2013). A realização do trabalho no período noturno foi identificada como uma prática regular para os trabalhadores nos setores de call center e tecnologia da informação (TI) que prestavam serviços a clientes de outros países, prática conhecida…”

“…Sendo assim, com a finalidade de facilitar a organização do texto a discussão foi dividida em duas seções: uma relacionada à identificação dos fatores de risco psicossocial e suas relações com o estresse e a saúde e outra referente à identificação de estratégias organizacionais. Com exceção dos fatores previsibilidade e exigências cognitivas, todos os outros fatores de risco psicossocial identificados neste estudo por ambas as análises também foram identificados nas pesquisas apresentadas na revisão sistemática da literatura (Alvarez et al, 2007;Budhwar et al, 2009;Chillida & Cocco, 2004;D'Cruz & Noronha, 2008;Deery et al, 2013;Druck, 2016;Gemma et al, 2017;Hechanova, 2013;Hsiao & Mor Barak, 2014;Jain et al, 2013;Kesavachandran et al, 2006;Nadeem, 2009;Papadopoulos et al, 2010;Quinlan & Bohle, 2008;Raja & Bhasin, 2014;Ram et al, 2014;Ratnesh et al, 2016;Revathi, 2016;Santos et al, 2009;Seklecka et al, 2013;Snell et al, 2015;Taylor et al, 2013;Thite, 2010;Zuberi, 2011 (Garza et al, 2012). A redução dos gastos, principalmente àqueles relacionados à força de trabalho, reflete na contratação de menos funcionários e na diminuição do salário e do investimento em treinamentos e equipamentos adequados (R. Silva, 2015;Vasapollo, 2005).…”

Physical activity in shift workers: building evidence to inform health promotion practice

“…Similar findings have been reported for shift workers in other industries. Studies have shown that 64% of shift workers in a Brazilian food processing plant were insufficiently active and 86% of shift workers employed by a software company in India reported that they did not exercise regularly 68,89 . Considering that many shift workers are inactive, and are at increased risk of poor health outcomes, the overall aim of this study was to synthesize and critically review the available literature on physical activity-based interventions in shift workers.…”

“…Understanding the determinants of physical activity in this population group is vital for the development of effective activity promotion strategies. Previous research has shown that the major barriers to physical activity in shift workers, including those in the food production and electronics industries, are lack of time and fatigue 68,89 . Similar barriers have been found in nurses and nursing students 44,73 .…”