Work Factors, Work-Family Conflict, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Healthy Intentions: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

The present study examined the roles of work factors (i.e. job demands, job resources), workfamily conflicts and culture on predictors of healthy intentions (fruit and vegetable consumption, low-fat diet, physical activity) within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB).Employees from the UK (N = 278) and Malaysia (N = 325) participated in the study. Results indicated that higher job demands were significantly related to lower intentions to eat a low-fat diet. Females reported higher intentions to eat a low-fat diet than males did, while participants from the UK had lower intentions to engage in physical activity compared to those from Malaysia. The efficacy of TPB variables in explaining intentions was verified, with perceived behavioural control (i.e. self-efficacy), attitudes and descriptive norms combined with past behaviour predictive across the samples. The results also suggest the roles of culture and work interference with family variables in moderating TPB-intention relationships and confirm that TPB variables mediate the effects of job demands and job resources on intentions. Practically, to promote health, identifying strategies to reduce stress factors; specifying important cognitive factors affecting work factors and thus, healthy intentions; and acknowledging cultural-specific determinants of healthy intentions are recommended.

Employee Physical Activity: A Multidisciplinary Integrative Review

“…Furthermore, our search indicated that no theoretical framework has been consistently applied to explain these relationships. The exception to this statement is that two studies (Payne, Jones, & Harris, 2002; Shukri, Jones, & Conner, 2016) have applied the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991) to explain employee exercise, demonstrating that employee exercise attitudes and norms predict exercise intentions and subsequent exercise behaviors. However, job performance has not been integrated into this more theoretically grounded subset of physical activity predictor research.…”

Work‐life conflict and employee health: A review

“…In addition to the psychological pathway, health behaviors, or lack thereof, can be another explanation why WLC is associated with worse physical health. Work‐life conflict has been linked to increased smoking and alcohol consumption (e.g., Moen, Fan, & Kelly, ), less physical activity (e.g., Shukri, Jones, & Conner, ), and worse eating habits (e.g., Shukri, Jones, & Conner, ). Over time, unhealthy habits might lead to negative physical health outcomes.…”

Work-Family Conflict, Stress, and Physical and Mental Health: A Model for Understanding Barriers to and Opportunities for Women's Well-Being at Home and in the Workplace

“…For example, coping may be problem focused, in which the individual tries to deal directly with the problem either by reducing demands or increasing his or her capacity to deal with the stressor, or emotion focused, which involves using behavioral and cognitive strategies to manage the emotional reactions to stress (Lazarus & Folkman, ). These responses often take the form of changes in health‐related behaviors as a person responds to stress by altering exercise, diet, drinking, smoking, and sleeping habits (Grzywacz & Marks, ; King et al, ; Roos, Lahelma, & Rahkonen, ; Shukri, Jones, & Conner, ). However, changes in health behaviors may indicate an avoidance of the situation causing the stress rather than coping (Ingledew & McDonagh, ).…”