Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8705
Title: | Health Status of Employees: defining influences on health in the tertiary education industry | Contributor(s): | Ditton, Mary (author) | Publication Date: | 2006 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8705 | Abstract: | Objective: The health status of employees at an Australian university was assessed in order to target subsequent workplace health interventions. Design: A cross-sectional survey of all university employees (academic and general) was undertaken using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) in combination with a sociodemographic questionnaire. This was complemented by interviews with 40 university employees, stratified by level of employment. Setting: The University of New England, New South Wales. A university setting was chosen because previous studies had identified that 50% of employees in the tertiary education industry in Australia were at risk of mental health problems due to stress and workplace pressure compared with 19% of the general population. Results: A response rate of 49% was achieved (514/1047). The total study population attained significantly lower (poorer) mental health status scores than those of the Australian employed persons' sub-group norm. Academic staff reported significantly better physical health than general staff. Grade of employment, age, domestic living arrangements, health service utilisation and smoking were factors associated with variation in health status. Conclusions: The comparatively poor mental health status of Australian university employees combined with variation in health status based on sociodemographic measures poses a public health challenge for those concerned with maintaining and promoting the health of the tertiary education workforce. This study provides a basis for the development and evaluation of appropriate mental health promotion programs at the University of New England and raises questions for further research to explore the need for similar programs in other universities and public sector organisations. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management, 1(2), p. 51-60 | Publisher: | Australian College of Health Service Executives | Place of Publication: | Australia | ISSN: | 2204-3136 1833-3818 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 111799 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 920599 Specific Population Health (excl. Indigenous Health) not elsewhere classified | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal | Publisher/associated links: | http://www.achsm.org.au/resources/journal/archive/ |
---|---|
Appears in Collections: | Journal Article |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format |
---|
Page view(s)
1,108
checked on Mar 10, 2024
Items in Research UNE are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.