Establishment-level occupational safety analytics: Challenges and opportunities.

In occupational safety and health, big data and analytics show promise for the prediction and prevention of workplace injuries. Advances in computing power and analytical methods have allowed companies to reveal insights from the "big" data that previously would have gone undetected. Despite the promise, occupational safety has lagged behind other industries, such as supply chain management and healthcare, in terms of exploiting the potential of analytics and much of the data collected by organizations goes unanalyzed. The purpose of the present paper is to argue for the broader application of establishment-level safety analytics. This is accomplished by defining the terms, describing previous research, outlining the necessary components required, and describing knowledge gaps and future directions. The knowledge gaps and future directions for research in establishment-level analytics are categorized into readiness for analytics, analytics methods, technology integration, data culture, and impact of analytics.

University students exercise behavioral regulation, motives, and physical fitness.

This study examined relationships between exercise motives, exercise behavioral regulations, and physical fitness in college students. It was hypothesized that more intrinsic motives and more self-determined regulations would be associated with better fitness. Exercise motives of students participating in physical activity classes (N = 194) were assessed using the Motives for Physical Activity Measure-Revised (MPAM-R) and behavioral regulations were assessed with the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire 2 (BREQ-2). Aerobic fitness was assessed using the PACER run test, and body composition was assessed using hand-held, bio-electric impedance analyzers. MPAM-R and BREQ-2 subscales were regressed onto the two fitness measures. For the MPAM-R, stronger competence and fitness motives predicted better fitness and stronger appearance motives predicted worse fitness. For the BREQ-2, higher intrinsic motivation predicted better aerobic fitness, and stronger, introjected regulation predicted higher body fat composition. These findings have implications for fitness professionals and physical educators.

The shared leadership process in decision-making teams.

The present study examined the process of shared leadership in 45 ad hoc decision-making teams. Each team member's leadership behavior (n = 180) was assessed by behaviorally coding videotapes of the teams' discussions. The within-team patterns of leadership behavior were examined using cluster analysis. Results indicated that the likelihood of a team experiencing a full range of leadership behavior increased to the extent that multiple team members shared leadership, and that teams with shared leadership experienced less conflict, greater consensus, and higher intragroup trust and cohesion than teams without shared leadership. This study supports previous findings that shared leadership contributes to overall team functioning, and begins to delineate the extent to which team members may naturally share leadership.

Do employees' work schedules put them at-risk? The role of shift scheduling and holidays in predicting near miss and incident likelihood.

INTRODUCTION: Using crew scheduling and injury incident data from a Fortune 500 manufacturing company, this study analyzed the effect of consecutive shifts and shifts near holidays on near misses and incidents. METHODS: Logistic regressions were conducted with consecutive workdays, days near holidays, and time of shift as predictors of incident and near miss outcomes. RESULTS: The logistic regression analysis indicated that working consecutive day shifts increases the probability of an incident occurring, with the fourth consecutive shift resulting in the most risk. The consecutive shift pattern did not replicate to employees working the night shift. However, the first and second shifts when transferring to a night schedule appear to have a greater chance of incident. Shifts near holidays did not have a significantly higher risk than other shifts. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The current research suggests that organizations can use similar analytic techniques to determine if shift scheduling might be related to increased risk and allocate resources to mitigate hazards during those peak probability shifts.

Pediatrician prescriptions for outdoor physical activity among children: A pilot study.

Research indicates that promoting time spent in the outdoors and outdoor physical activity increases children's daily physical activity and improves health. One method showing promise is doctor prescriptions for outdoor physical activity for children; however, no empirical evidence currently exists on prescriptions for children's outdoor physical activity. A pilot study was conducted at one pediatric practice in western North Carolina during 2015 to test the feasibility and potential effectiveness of conducting an outdoor physical activity prescription program for children aged 5-13 years. Three pediatricians wrote prescriptions for children (n = 38), discussed benefits of outdoor physical activity, and provided information packets to parents on nearby places for physical activity. Parents of patients of five pediatricians served as control (n = 32). Prior to seeing a pediatrician, parents completed a baseline survey that asked height and weight, assessed their views of children's physical activity, and their personal and child's physical activity/sedentary behaviors. A nurse measured children's height and weight. Parents were emailed one-month and three-month follow-up surveys that asked the questions listed above. Changes in children's physical activity, outdoor physical activity, time spent in the outdoors, and sedentary activities were not significant between intervention and control groups. About half of parents (49%) viewed prescriptions as beneficial for their children and most used the intervention materials at home (70%). A larger study is needed to assess whether prescriptions increase children's physical activity. A critical examination of the intervention, pilot study design, and suggestions for a larger future study are provided.

Relationships Among Goal Contents, Exercise Motivations, Physical Activity, and Aerobic Fitness in University Physical Education Courses.

The current research examined the relationships among exercise goal contents, behavioral regulation, physical activity, and aerobic fitness within the context of eight-week university physical education courses. Participants were undergraduate students (M age = 20.2 year, SD = 2.3) enrolled in activity courses (N = 461) during the 2010 Fall semester. At pretest, participants completed a demographic survey, Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire and the Goal Contents in Exercise Questionnaire. At eight-week posttest, participants completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adults and the PACER aerobic fitness test. Relative intrinsic goal content was found to predict physical activity indirectly and aerobic fitness via behavioral regulation. Specific goal contents related to health management and skill development were found to predict physical activity and aerobic fitness via a fully mediated path through identified and intrinsic regulation. Results supported the efficacy of goal contents and self-determination theory in describing physical activity behavior and fitness. Examining specific types of goal contents and behavioral regulations revealed relationships that were masked by the utilization of omnibus scoring protocols.

Effects of tai chi chuan on anxiety and sleep quality in young adults: lessons from a randomized controlled feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine feasibility and estimate the effect of a 10-week tai chi chuan (TCC) intervention on anxiety and sleep quality in young adults. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-five adults (18-40 years) from a predominately undergraduate midsized university. METHODS: This was an assessor blinded, randomized feasibility trial, and participants were randomized into one of three groups: 10 weeks of TCC meeting 2 times per week, 10 weeks of TCC with a DVD of the curriculum, and control group receiving a handout on anxiety management. Anxiety and sleep quality were assessed 4 times: baseline, 4 weeks, 10 weeks (immediate post-intervention), and 2 months post-intervention. Retention was defined as a participant attending the baseline assessment and at least one other assessment. Adherence to the intervention was set a priori as attendance at 80% of the TCC classes. RESULTS: Eighty-five percent of participants were retained during the intervention and 70% completed the 2 month follow-up assessments. To increase statistical power, the two TCC groups were combined in the analyses of anxiety and sleep quality measures. No significant changes in anxiety were found in the control group, while levels of anxiety decreased significantly over time in the two TCC groups. Sleep quality scores improved across time for all three groups, but adherent TCC participants reported greater improvement than control participants. CONCLUSION: TCC may be an effective nonpharmaceutical means of improving anxiety and poor sleep quality in young adults.

Is there a valid app for that? Validity of a free pedometer iPhone application.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the validity of a selected free pedometer application (iPedometer; IP) for the iPhone that could be used to assess physical activity. METHODS: Twenty college students (10 men, 10 women; mean age: 21.85 ± 1.57 yrs) wore an iPhone at 3 locations (pocket, waist, arm) and a StepWatch 3 Step Activity Monitor (SW) on their right ankle while walking on a treadmill at 5 different speeds (54, 67, 80, 94, 107 m·min(-1)). A research assistant counted steps with a tally counter (TC). RESULTS: Statistical significance between the TC, SW, and IP was found during every condition except IP in the pocket at 107 m·min(-1) (F(2,38) = .64, P = .54). Correlations involving the IP revealed only 1 positive correlation (IP on arm at 54 m·min(-1)) for any of the conditions (r = .46, P = .05). CONCLUSION: The IP application was not accurate in counting steps and recorded significantly lower step counts than the SW and TC. Thus, the free pedometer application used is not a valid instrument for monitoring activity during treadmill walking.

A taxometric investigation of the latent structure of worry: dimensionality and associations with depression, anxiety, and stress.

Worry has been described as a core feature of several disorders, particularly generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The present study examined the latent structure of worry by applying 3 taxometric procedures (MAXEIG, MAMBAC, and L-Mode) to data collected from 2 large samples. Worry in the first sample (Study 1) of community participants (n=1,355) was operationalized by worry engagement, absence of worry, and the worry feature of trait anxiety. Worry in the second sample (Study 2) of undergraduate participants (n=1,171) was operationalized by the tendency to experience worry, intolerance of uncertainty, beliefs about worry, and symptoms of GAD. Results across both samples provided converging evidence that worry is best conceptualized as a dimensional construct, present to a greater or lesser extent in all individuals. Findings from Study 2 also indicated that the latent dimension of worry generally has an equal association with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress across the entire continuum. These findings are discussed in relation to the conceptualization and assessment of worry in GAD and related disorders.