Critical Review of "Employees’ perceptions of the impact of work on health behaviours" by N. Payne, F. Jones and P.R. Harris

Literature Review , 2015 , 9 Pages , Grade: 2,3

Ergonomics

This paper gives a critical appraisal of the work of Payne et al. It shows that the sample and study design are limited by different sampling errors like selection bias or participant effects. The study results are acknowledged and brought into context. Finally the paper gives recommendations of how the study could have been improved.

Payne at al. conducted semi-structured interviews with twenty-four employees of the UK site of a multinational company acting in the computer hardware and software industry (main areas of work: design, marketing and sales). The researchers obtained information about the employee’s understanding of four defined health behaviours (namely smoking, drinking alcohol, exercise and diet) and how they are affected by their work. They identified four categories as the main themes affecting health behaviours, which are work environment, business events, being busy at work and work stress with various sub-categories.
As there already is a broad range of both qualitative and quantitative research relating to work and health, which is a circumstance the authors are aware of, they list a number of reasons to justify the study. They point out that the study is able to provide a complete picture of the topic by the range of factors and key behaviours it observes, the bottom-up approach as well as looking at both positive and negative impacts of work

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Importance of the topic
• Sample and Method
• Analysis and Results
• Discussion
• Limitations
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The study by Payne, Jones, and Harris aims to critically examine the impact of work on employees' health behaviors, using a qualitative approach to understand employee perceptions. The study provides insights into how work can both promote and constrain healthy behaviors.

• The influence of work on health behaviors like smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, and diet.
• Identification of key themes related to work and health behaviors, including work environment, business events, being busy at work, and work stress.
• The role of employee perceptions and how they relate to work-related factors influencing their health choices.
• The limitations of relying solely on work-related explanations for unhealthy behaviors, acknowledging the influence of other factors.
• The need for further research to explore the complex interplay between work, health behaviors, and individual factors.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: The paper introduces the study by Payne, Jones, and Harris, focusing on their qualitative research exploring employee perceptions of work's impact on health behaviors. It outlines the critical review approach, examining the study's methodology and its influence on the relevance of the results.
• Importance of the topic: This section emphasizes the significant impact of work on various health behaviors and highlights the need for further research, particularly qualitative studies, to understand the complex relationship between work and health.
• Sample and Method: This section delves into the study's methodology, discussing the sample size, its representativeness, and potential biases. It examines the use of semi-structured interviews and their potential limitations, including response biases and the lack of anonymity.
• Analysis and Results: This section outlines the study's data analysis using a thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke's model. It describes the process of identifying themes and sub-themes from the interview data, highlighting the key categories of work's impact on employee health behaviors.
• Discussion: This section analyzes the findings of the study, exploring the implications of the identified themes and their relationship to existing research on work and health. It discusses the potential limitations of the study's findings due to the specific sample and methodology.
• Limitations: This section acknowledges the limitations of the study, including the small sample size, potential biases in the selection of participants, and the reliance on self-reported data. It discusses the need for future research to address these limitations and explore the wider context of work's impact on health behaviors.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This study focuses on the critical appraisal of employee perceptions of work's impact on health behaviors. Key themes and concepts include work-related factors influencing health behaviors, qualitative research methodology, thematic analysis, and the limitations of generalizing findings from a specific sample. The study highlights the importance of considering both positive and negative impacts of work on health and the need for future research to explore the complex interplay between work, health behaviors, and individual factors.

• College: University of Nottingham
• Grade: 2,3
• Author: Julia Steger (Author)
• Publication Year: 2015
• Pages: 9
• Catalog Number: V301540
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668009363
• ISBN (Book): 9783668009370
• Language: English
• Tags: critical, review, employees’, impact, work, health, behaviours, payne, jones, harris