Factors predicting health behaviors among Army Reserve, active duty Army, and civilian hospital employees.
This study identified health-risk and health-promoting behaviors in military and civilian personnel employed in hospitals. Intrinsic self-motivation and extrinsic organizational workplace factors were examined as predictors of health behaviors. Because reservists represent a blend of military and civilian lifestyles, descriptive analyses focused on comparing Army Reserve personnel (n = 199) with active duty Army (n = 218) and civilian employees (n = 193), for a total sample of 610. Self-motivation and social support were significant factors contributing to the adoption of health-promoting behaviors; however, organizational workplace cultures were inconsistent predictors of health among the three groups. Only the active Army subgroup identified a hierarchical culture as having an influence on health promotion, possibly because of the Army's mandatory physical fitness and weight control standards. Social support and self-motivation are essential to promoting health among employees, thus hospital commanders and chief executive officers should encourage strategies that enhance and reward these behaviors.
Wynd
Christine A
CA
University of Akron College of Nursing, 209 Carroll Street, Akron, OH 44147, USA.
Ryan-Wenger
Nancy A
NA
D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D009042:Motivation; D015279:Organizational Culture; D012309:Risk-Taking; D014481:United States; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology