Skip to main content

STREBLO: The App Prototype for Managing Stress in the Construction Industry

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Collaboration and Integration in Construction, Engineering, Management and Technology

Abstract

High levels of stress at work, great responsibilities, hazards and lack of balance between tasks and deadlines are common in the daily lives of many construction workers. E-health applications can help manage stress. Accordingly, an App is being designed to enable construction workers to (1) detect the onset of stress quite early, (2) track their stress status, (3) empower persons to cope with stressful and/or demanding situations in an adaptive way, (4) improve and streamline the operability of job tasks and (5) optimise efficient solutions for the construction industry. The development of this innovative app, known as Streblo, is part of a wider research that is studying stress management in the construction industry. Streblo’s blueprint will match personality traits with coping strategies in real-life situations. Its inputs are being generated from a field study that has commenced, where 23 structured interviews have been used to collect data from construction workers on their (1) personality and (2) behaviours while experiencing stress. Results of the data collection and analysis are being used to develop Streblo (an App) with IT experts. The paper reports the detail development and performance of Streblo’s prototype. Ultimately, users will be able to engage Streblo on electronic devices (mobile phones, tablets and computers) through both text and image-based communication, obtain real-time solutions and feedbacks on their stress status. Streblo will enhance and support attitude and behavioural changes in people who suffer from stress symptoms in the construction industry.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 299.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Årsand, E., Muzny, M., Bradway, M., Muzik, J., & Hartvigsen, G. (2015). Performance of the first combined smartwatch and smartphone diabetes diary application study. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, 9(3), 556–563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, U. E., Briss, P. A., Goodman, R. A., & Bowman, B. A. (2014). Prevention of chronic disease in the 21st century: Elimination of the leading preventable causes of premature death and disability in the USA. The Lancet, 384(9937), 45–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benarie, M. (1988). Delphi-and Delphilike approaches with special regard to environmental standard setting. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 33(2), 149–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, P., Govender, R., & Edwards, P. (2014a). Structural equation modelling of occupational stress in the construction industry. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(9), 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, P., Edwards, P., Lingard, H., & Cattell, K. (2014b). Workplace stress, stress effects and coping mechanisms in the construction industry. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(3), 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, I. Y. S., Leung, M. Y., & Yu, S. S. W. (2012). Managing the stress of Hong Kong expatriate construction professionals in Mainland China: Focus group study exploring individual coping strategies and organizational support. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 138(10), 1150–1160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, I. Y. S., Leung, M. Y., & Liang, Q. (2018). The roles of motivation and coping behaviours in managing stress: Qualitative interview study of Hong Kong expatriate construction professionals in mainland China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(3), e561.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, I., Leung, M. Y., & Yuan, T. (2014). Structural relationships between cultural values and coping behaviours of professionals in the stressful construction industry. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 21(2), 133–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derr, J., Forst, L., Chen, H. Y., & Conroy, L. (2001). Fatal falls in the US construction industry, 1990 to 1999. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 43(10), 853–860.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Engel, C. C., Litz, B., Magruder, K. M., Harper, E., Gore, K., Stein, N., & Coe, T. R. (2015). Delivery of self-training and education for stressful situations (DESTRESS-PC) A randomized trial of nurse assisted online self-management for PTSD in primary care. General Hospital Psychiatry, 37(4), 323–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enshassi, A., Al-Swaity, E., Abdulaziz, R., & Choudhry, R. (2018). Coping behaviours to deal with stress and stressor consequences among construction professionals: A case study at the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction, 23(1).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaggioli, A., Cipresso, P., Serino, S., Campanaro, D. M., Pallavicini, F., Wiederhold, B. K., & Riva, G. (2014). Positive technology: A free mobile platform for the self-management of psychological stress. Annual Review of Cybertherapy and Telemedicine, 199, 25–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haydam, E., & Smallwood, J. (2016). Mental stress among civil engineering construction site agents and foremen in the Nelson Mandela May Metropole. Journal of Construction Project Management and Innovation, 6(1), 1375–1390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jonkman, N. H., Westland, H., Groenwold, R. H., Ågren, S., Atienza, F., Blue, L., & Kempen, G. I. (2016). Do self-management interventions work in patients with heart failure? Clinical perspective: An individual patient data meta-analysis. Circulation, 133(12), 1189–1198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khusid, M. A., & Vythilingam, M. (2016). The emerging role of mindfulness meditation as effective self-management strategy, Part 1: Clinical implications for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. Military Medicine, 181(9), 961–968.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1966). Psychological stress and the coping process. New York, US: McGraw-Hill. Leung, M. Y., Chan, I. Y. S., & Cooper, C. L. (2014). Stress management in the construction industry. Oxford, UK: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leung, M. Y., Chan, Y. S., & Olomolaiye, P. (2008). Impact of stress on the performance of construction project managers. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 134(8), 644–652.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, M. Y., Liang, Q., & Yu, J. (2016). Development of a mindfulness-stress-performance model for construction workers. Construction Management and Economics, 34(2), 110–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lingard, H., & Francis, V. (2004). The work‐life experiences of office and site‐based employees in the Australian construction industry. Construction Management and Economics, 22(9), 991–1002.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lorig, K. R., Ritter, P., Stewart, A. L., Sobel, D. S., Brown, B. W., Jr., Bandura, A., & Holman, H. R. (2001). Chronic disease self-management program: 2-year health status and health care utilization outcomes. Medical Care, 39(11), 1217–1223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Love, P. E., Edwards, D. J., & Irani, Z. (2010). Work stress, support, and mental health in construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 136(6), 650–658.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nevo, D., & Chan, Y. E. (2007). A Delphi study of knowledge management systems: Scope and requirements. Information and Management, 44(6), 583–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Payne, H. E., Lister, C., West, J. H., & Bernhardt, J. M. (2015). Behavioural functionality of mobile apps in health interventions: A systematic review of the literature. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 3(1), e20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, W. S., Besen, E., Pransky, G., Boot, C. R., Nicholas, M. K., McLellan, R. K., & Tveito, T. H. (2014). Manage at work: A randomized, controlled trial of a self- management group intervention to overcome workplace challenges associated with chronic physical health conditions. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland, V., & Davidson, M. J. (1993). Using a stress audit: The construction site manager experience in the UK. Work and Stress, 7(3), 273–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, K. C., Hsieh, Y. H., Yen, C. H., You, C. W., Chen, Y. C., Huang, M. C., & Chu, H. H. (2014). SoberDiary: A phone-based support system for assisting recovery from alcohol dependence. In Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing: Adjunct Publication, 13–17 September, Seattle, Washington (pp. 311–314).

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead, L., & Seaton, P. (2016). The effectiveness of self-management mobile phone and tablet apps in long-term condition management: A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18(5), e97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, Y., Yao, X., Vespasiani, G., Nicolucci, A., Dong, Y., Kwong, J., & Li, S. (2017). mobile app- based interventions to support diabetes self-management: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials to identify functions associated with Glycemic efficacy. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 5(3), e35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Streblo is being developed within a European Commission (EC) project H2020-MSCA- IF- 2015/H2020-MSCA-IF-2015, Grant Agreement: 703236—‘Inhibiting Stress in the Construction Industry’ (INSTINCT). The authors are very grateful for this funding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Silvia Riva .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Riva, S., Hampton, P., Chinyio, E. (2021). STREBLO: The App Prototype for Managing Stress in the Construction Industry. In: Ahmed, S.M., Hampton, P., Azhar, S., D. Saul, A. (eds) Collaboration and Integration in Construction, Engineering, Management and Technology. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48465-1_79

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics