Quality changes in workplace health promotion over time: an extended validation of quality criteria from a longitudinal perspective.

Aim: The quality of workplace health promotion (WHP) is essential for the successful deployment of financial and human resources. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the measurement quality of a WHP instrument with 15 quality criteria over time. In addition, it examines whether the quality of WHP in the enterprises concerned changed over time and whether typical developments can be identified. Finally, the role of company parameters such as size and implementation phase are analysed in relation to how WHP develops over time. Subjects and methods: Evaluations of the quality of WHP collected between 2014 and 2021 were available at two and three measurement points for 570 and 279 enterprises, respectively. To assess the longitudinal measurement structure, confirmatory factor analyses were carried out followed by structural equation modelling to analyse causality. Cluster analysis was used to identify typical developments, and differences in company parameters were analysed with MANOVA. Results: The results prove that the 15 quality criteria can be used to evaluate the quality of WHP in enterprises in a valid and reliable manner, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The quality of WHP in the enterprises concerned remained relatively stable over approximately 12 years. The cluster solution revealed three different developments characterized by increasing, stable or decreasing quality. Conclusion: Measurements using a quality evaluation system permit a good assessment of WHP in enterprises. WHP quality also depends on company parameters; here more support should be provided to motivate enterprises in the long run, particularly in the sustainability phase.

Factors associated with the implementation of health-promoting telework from the perspective of company decision makers after the first COVID-19 lockdown.

Aim: Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies shifted to telework, with few insights into its implementation, organisational conditions or the role of workplace health promotion and management. This study focused on a multifactorial investigation of conditions in companies which implemented and evaluated telework during the first lockdown in 2020 as well as on their future intentions to facilitate teleworking under health-promoting working conditions. Subject and methods: The research hypotheses relate to an extended technology acceptance model. In a mixed-methods design, expert interviews were fed into the development of an online questionnaire. Out of 1858 contacted companies representing a broad range of Austrian businesses, 192 responses (general management, workplace health managers, etc.) were analysed using descriptive and multivariate statistics. Results: The degree of implementation and claim to teleworking increased significantly during the first lockdown and did not return to pre-pandemic levels afterwards. Changes depended on preparation and experience: evaluation of teleworking and willingness to continue offering teleworking were conditional on preparation and the degree of implementation. Prerequisites for future intentions to implement health-promoting teleworking included readiness, general willingness and existing workplace health promotion/management structures. Conclusion: This paper demonstrates the potential of health-promoting organisational cultures for development processes - particularly in times of crisis. Anchoring health-focused structures in companies helps to create health-promoting frameworks. Health-promoting teleworking can be developed from workplace health promotion/management using established approaches. It is essential to build on in-house capacities and competencies to develop awareness for a holistic culture for health-promoting (tele)work and to encourage deliberations about potential measures.

Developing and validating a self-assessment tool for health promotion competencies with training participants in Austria.

A key objective of health promotion capacity building and professional development programmes is to enhance competencies in the workforce or training participants. The goal of this study was to investigate and validate the psychometric properties of a recently developed self-assessment tool, based on 'The CompHP core competencies framework for health promotion', to establish whether it is suitable for evaluating training. The tool was employed in 2018 to evaluate two different programmes, with 584 participants submitting their assessment and evaluation of 77 different health promotion training courses in a paper and pencil questionnaire. Longitudinal data were available for 148 participants in the programme for workplace health promotion because they completed an online questionnaire beforehand. The reliability and validity of the assessment tool were tested in several confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation models. Structurally, there was a significant increase in health promotion competencies when comparing measurements before and after training. Furthermore, participants were shown to have different levels of competencies due to their prior knowledge, the format of the course or the professional development programme attended but not based on gender, age or sector. The results justify the creation of an overall scale to assess core health promotion competencies that are suitable for evaluating training courses. However, various methodological issues need to be considered in future applications including decisions about the design of the study (e.g. pre-post test, control groups), type of measurements (e.g. general and specific instrument, background information) and depth of analysis (e.g. confirmatory model and invariance testing).

Risk factors of severity of abuse against older women in the home setting: A multinational European study.

This article examines the ecological risk factors of abuse against older women. Data from 2,880 older women were randomly collected in five European countries (Austria, Belgium, Finland, Lithuania, and Portugal) using a standardized questionnaire. Results indicate that overall 30.1 % older women had at least one experience of abuse in the past year. The findings demonstrate that a single emphasis on personal risk factors (e.g., health, coping) is important but too simple: Abuse is multifaceted and is embedded in environmental (e.g., loneliness, household income) as well as macrocultural contexts (e.g., old age dependency ratio).

[Influence and correlation of attitude, availability and institutional support to research implementation in nursing practice ­ results from an exploratory, cross-sectional quantitative study]. / Einfluss und Zusammenhang von Einstellung, Verfügbarkeit und institutioneller Unterstützung auf die Anwendung von Forschungsergebnissen in der pflegerischen Praxis - Ergebnisse einer explorativen quantitativen Querschnittstudie.

BACKGROUND: The concrete application of research findings in nursing practice is a multidimensional process. In Austria, there are currently no results available that explain the impact of and association with the implementation of research in hospitals. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate influences and relationships of individual attitudes towards research utilization, availability of research results and institutional support of nurses in Austrian hospitals with respect to research application. METHODS: In a non-experimental quantitative cross-sectional design a multi-centre study (n = 10) was performed in 2011. RESULTS: The sample comprises 178 certified nurses who were interviewed with a survey questionnaire. The multiple regression analysis shows that a positive attitude towards research use (ß = 0.388, p < 0.001), the availability of processed research results (ß = 0.470, p < 0.001), and an adequate institutional support (ß = 0.142, p < 0.050) has a significant influence on the application of research results. The path analysis proves that course attendance in evidence-based nursing has a strong positive influence towards research application (ß = 0.464; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Health institutions are, according to legal instructions, called on to make use of the positive attitude and supply supporting measures in order to introduce research results into the daily nursing practice.

Validity and reliability of the "German Utilization Questionnaire-Dissemination and Use of Research" to measure attitude, availability, and support toward implementation of research in nursing practice.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In nursing practice, research results have to undergo a systematic process of transformation. Currently in Austria, there is no empirical data available concerning the actual implementation of research results. An English validated questionnaire was translated into German and tested for validity and reliability. METHOD: A survey of 178 registered nurses (n = 178) was conducted in a multicenter, quantitative, cross-sectional study in Austria in 2011. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha values (.82-.92) were calculated for 4 variables ("use," "attitude," "availability," "support") after the reduction of 7 irrelevant items. Exploratory factor analysis was calculated with Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) ranging from .78 to .92; the total variance ranged from 46% to 56%. CONCLUSION: A validated German questionnaire concerning the implementation of research results is now available for the nursing practice.

Item non-response when measuring elder abuse: influence of methodological choices.

BACKGROUND: Efficient actions to fight elder abuse are highly dependent on reliable dimensions of the phenomenon. Accurate measures are nevertheless difficult to achieve owing to the sensitivity of the topic. Different research endeavours indicate varying prevalence rates, which are explained by different research designs and definitions used, but little is known about measurement errors such as item non-responses and how outcomes are affected by modes of administration. METHODS: A multi-national study was developed to measure domestic abuse against home-dwelling older women (aged >60 years) in Europe. The measurement instrument covered six forms of abuse, adapted from the Conflict Tactics Scale. 2880 individuals were interviewed by three different data collection methods (i.e. postal, face-to-face, telephone). RESULTS: Principal component analysis of missing values of 34 indicators of abuse showed various patterns of item non-response. Moreover, principal component analysis indicated several response patterns across different types of data collection. A binary logistic regression explained that item non-response and abuse prevalence is influenced by individual characteristics (social status, vulnerability), method effects such as content (sensitivity), the order of the questions (forms of abuse), by type of data collection and the presence of assistance in survey completion. CONCLUSION: The discussion revolves around how these findings could help improving measuring elder abuse. Advantages and disadvantages of the questionnaire and type of data collection methods are discussed in relation to three potential types of response errors: item positioning effect, acquiescence and social desirability.

European map of prevalence rates of elder abuse and its impact for future research.

This article aims to map existing prevalence research on abuse and neglect of older people and to provide a critical overview of existing methodologies, which have been adopted to survey the prevalence rates of abuse against elders. This article is part of the prevalence study of Abuse and Violence against Older Women (AVOW) study, which was conducted in five European countries (Austria, Belgium, Finland, Lithuania, and Portugal). The article provides an overview of the state of the art of prevalence data, survey designs and methods, instruments and results in Europe. Therefore, this draws on an extensive literature search and qualitative content analysis, which was conducted as an early part of the AVOW study. Results indicate that some EU countries have a rich history of prevalence research, whereas other countries have just begun to tackle this aspect of research on of elder abuse. One of the lacunae concerns reliable numbers on the prevalence rates of elder abuse. Research about where, when and how often elder abuse occurs, is inadequate and inconsistent. Data in some cases are based on professionals' reports rather than on information from older people themselves. Surveying elders about such a sensitive topic, however, implies the need for an adequate research instrument (questionnaire) and research design, and an adapted data collection method. In conclusion, substantial attention is paid to outlining possible guidelines for future research.

Health promotion for older people in the Czech Republic in a European perspective.

This article describes health promotion for older people in the Czech Republic from the European perspective. It is based on findings from the European project healthPROelderly. Implementation of health promotion in the Czech republic as a new public health concept is outlined from the historical point of view. Structures and processes of health promotion in the Czech Republic are described in the context of social policy, demography and health. The European project healthPROelderly is presented and the outcomes of an international literature search statistically analysed. Participating countries were divided into three macro-regions according to their geographical location and political and historical tradition - Mediterranean, West-European and formerly East-European macro-regions. The outcome of correspondence analysis partially confirms the hypothesis on the cultural background of the health promotion activities and strategies. Concerning themes addressed by health promotion projects most countries belonging to the Mediterranean or "Western European" macro-regions have concentrated on similar themes whereas this is not valid for the countries of the "Former Eastern European" macro-region. The hypothesis on macro-regional similarities in relation to settings of health promotion projects was not confirmed. In the conclusions the location of the Czech Republic in an international perspective is discussed and three Czech selected best practice projects are evaluated in relation to the statistical findings.