Health-relevant personality traits in relation to adherence to a web-based occupational health promotion and stress management intervention
International Journal of Workplace Health Management
ISSN: 1753-8351
Article publication date: 15 June 2018
Issue publication date: 26 July 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possible associations between health-relevant personality traits and adherence; and if these traits predict adherence to a web-based occupational health intervention.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 563 participants were analyzed using the Health-relevant Personality Inventory. Adherence measures were: logins, utilization of self-help exercises and time spent logged in.
Findings
Higher levels of antagonism (a facet of agreeableness) and impulsivity (a facet of conscientiousness) correlated to fewer logins, and higher levels of negative affectivity (a facet of neuroticism) and impulsivity correlated to a higher utilization of self-help exercises. Alexithymia (a facet of openness) negatively predicted self-help exercise utilization and antagonism was a positive predictor. Negative affectivity was a positive predictor of time spent logged in to the intervention. There were sex-related differences in outcomes.
Originality/value
This is the first study to investigate health-relevant personality traits in relation to adherence to a web-based occupational health intervention. The practical implications are that intervention developers could benefit from taking personality into consideration to better understand and improve adherence.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the organizations and participants in the PAUS intervention study for your dedication and your time. The authors thank the Education Department in Stockholm City for support and assistance during the intervention. The authors also express the deepest gratitude toward AFA Insurance for financing this research and for valuable contributions and support from Great Earth Scandinavia AB, Oticon AB, Menarini Diagnostics AB and Pharma Consulting Group AB. The authors are very grateful to systems architect Jens Pettersson for immense and deeply appreciated efforts in the study. The web-based intervention used in the study is the result of almost two decades of research and it is and has been commercially available for more than a decade. The scientist, co-founder and CEO of the company Interactive Health Group AB that provides the intervention, is the Co-author of this paper DH. The first author has on occasion contributed with consultancy tasks regarding the web-based intervention.
Citation
Villaume, K., Tafvelin, S. and Hasson, D. (2018), "Health-relevant personality traits in relation to adherence to a web-based occupational health promotion and stress management intervention", International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 143-158. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-11-2017-0092
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited