Erin Wigger | Pepperdine University - Graduate School of Education and Psychology (original) (raw)
Papers by Erin Wigger
The impact of work on psychological and physical health, including cardiovascular disease, is exp... more The impact of work on psychological and physical health, including cardiovascular disease, is explored in the context of newly emerging research. The focus is on work organization, psychosocial stressors, measurement (including hands-on experience), contextual factors (gender, ethnicity, social class), and how work stressors can be ameliorated. The class will have 10 three-hour sessions and will meet weekly. Midterm: 25% Final Exam covering lecture materials and readings: 35% Protecting workers from harm at work must be accompanied by initiatives addressing social and economic inequality in general, making work more conducive to health, increasing worker autonomy and participation in workplace decision-making, collective representation through trade unions, healthy job redesign, living wage jobs, paid sick and family leave, paid vacation time, universal access to health care, and pensions. Approaches focused on changing individual behaviors have not substantially altered overall population health indicators. Such approaches keep the discussion focused on individual responsibility for health without addressing the underlying causes of ill health and systemic change that is needed to reduce and prevent the burden of chronic illness plaguing the US and many other countries.
Background and Objective: Firefighters (FF) are frequently obese and are at high risk for CVD. Fe... more Background and Objective: Firefighters (FF) are frequently obese and are at high risk for CVD. Few validated instruments are available that assess the unique working conditions and health behaviors of firefighters who work on a 24 hr-shift system. Our goal was to develop an occupational health questionnaire informed by focus groups of FF's for use in a study of obesity among firefighters. Methods: The research team prepared an initial questionnaire for FF's including domains and items about working conditions informed by a literature review and used in a preliminary web-survey. Four focus groups (2 of firefighters and engineers, 1 of captains, and 1 of battalion chiefs) were conducted.. The FF's were asked to review the domains and items in the initial questionnaire in terms of relevance to their work experiences, clarity of wording, and missing domains or questionnaire items. Results: 21 firefighters participated in the focus groups. Across the focus groups, five domain...
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2013
Firefighters, as an occupational group, have one of the highest prevalence rates of obesity. A qu... more Firefighters, as an occupational group, have one of the highest prevalence rates of obesity. A qualitative study investigated occupational and health behavioral determinants of obesity among firefighters. Four focus groups were conducted with firefighters of every rank as Phase I of the FORWARD study which was designed to assess health behavioral and occupational characteristics related to obesity in firefighters. Analysis revealed five main themes of central importance to firefighters: (1) fire station eating culture; (2) night calls and sleep interruption; (3) supervisor leadership and physical fitness; (4) sedentary work; and (5) age and generational influences. The results showed a strong interrelationship between occupational and health behavioral causes of obesity in firefighters. The relevance of these qualitative findings are discussed along with the implications for future obesity interventions with firefighters.
As part of the FORWARD study (Choi et al., 2011), we investigate the work-related and behavioral ... more As part of the FORWARD study (Choi et al., 2011), we investigate the work-related and behavioral causes of obesity from the perspective of firefighters. Qualitative approaches to building theory prioritize and privilege the knowledge of those living or working in their everyday worlds and as part of a participatory action research process can enhance research-to-practice goals. Firefighters have a unique set of working conditions and are generally considered a health-conscious population, yet rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and heart attacks on the job are high. Very little research has been published investigating the work-related and health behavioral causes of obesity among firefighters' and almost no research draws on firefighter knowledge of the work environment. We conducted four focus groups with a total of 20 firefighters of every rank (firefighters/engineers, captains, and battalion chiefs), from a regional fire authority in California, with ...
The impact of work on psychological and physical health, including cardiovascular disease, is exp... more The impact of work on psychological and physical health, including cardiovascular disease, is explored in the context of newly emerging research. The focus is on work organization, psychosocial stressors, measurement (including hands-on experience), contextual factors (gender, ethnicity, social class), and how work stressors can be ameliorated. The class will have 10 three-hour sessions and will meet weekly. Midterm: 25% Final Exam covering lecture materials and readings: 35% Protecting workers from harm at work must be accompanied by initiatives addressing social and economic inequality in general, making work more conducive to health, increasing worker autonomy and participation in workplace decision-making, collective representation through trade unions, healthy job redesign, living wage jobs, paid sick and family leave, paid vacation time, universal access to health care, and pensions. Approaches focused on changing individual behaviors have not substantially altered overall population health indicators. Such approaches keep the discussion focused on individual responsibility for health without addressing the underlying causes of ill health and systemic change that is needed to reduce and prevent the burden of chronic illness plaguing the US and many other countries.
Background and Objective: Firefighters (FF) are frequently obese and are at high risk for CVD. Fe... more Background and Objective: Firefighters (FF) are frequently obese and are at high risk for CVD. Few validated instruments are available that assess the unique working conditions and health behaviors of firefighters who work on a 24 hr-shift system. Our goal was to develop an occupational health questionnaire informed by focus groups of FF's for use in a study of obesity among firefighters. Methods: The research team prepared an initial questionnaire for FF's including domains and items about working conditions informed by a literature review and used in a preliminary web-survey. Four focus groups (2 of firefighters and engineers, 1 of captains, and 1 of battalion chiefs) were conducted.. The FF's were asked to review the domains and items in the initial questionnaire in terms of relevance to their work experiences, clarity of wording, and missing domains or questionnaire items. Results: 21 firefighters participated in the focus groups. Across the focus groups, five domain...
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2013
Firefighters, as an occupational group, have one of the highest prevalence rates of obesity. A qu... more Firefighters, as an occupational group, have one of the highest prevalence rates of obesity. A qualitative study investigated occupational and health behavioral determinants of obesity among firefighters. Four focus groups were conducted with firefighters of every rank as Phase I of the FORWARD study which was designed to assess health behavioral and occupational characteristics related to obesity in firefighters. Analysis revealed five main themes of central importance to firefighters: (1) fire station eating culture; (2) night calls and sleep interruption; (3) supervisor leadership and physical fitness; (4) sedentary work; and (5) age and generational influences. The results showed a strong interrelationship between occupational and health behavioral causes of obesity in firefighters. The relevance of these qualitative findings are discussed along with the implications for future obesity interventions with firefighters.
As part of the FORWARD study (Choi et al., 2011), we investigate the work-related and behavioral ... more As part of the FORWARD study (Choi et al., 2011), we investigate the work-related and behavioral causes of obesity from the perspective of firefighters. Qualitative approaches to building theory prioritize and privilege the knowledge of those living or working in their everyday worlds and as part of a participatory action research process can enhance research-to-practice goals. Firefighters have a unique set of working conditions and are generally considered a health-conscious population, yet rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and heart attacks on the job are high. Very little research has been published investigating the work-related and health behavioral causes of obesity among firefighters' and almost no research draws on firefighter knowledge of the work environment. We conducted four focus groups with a total of 20 firefighters of every rank (firefighters/engineers, captains, and battalion chiefs), from a regional fire authority in California, with ...