Within higher education, there has been limited attention afforded to the health and well-being of faculty in the academic profession. Research on health outcomes in female faculty is limited despite the gender inequalities that exist within the academy when it comes to the work demands of female faculty (Guarino & Borden, 2016; Settles, Cortina, Malley, Stewart, 2006; Settles, Cortina, Stewart, & Malley, 2007; Settles, Cortina, Buchanan, & Miner, 2013). Moreover, there are even fewer studies that examine health-related outcomes in women STEM faculty (see Sirakamon, Chontawon, Akkadechanun, & Turale, 2003; Smith, Chen, & McKyer, 2009; Thompson, Smittick, Pesonen, Payne, Bergman, & Miner-Rubino, 2011). This line of research is necessary given
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We argued that the nature of work demands in contemporary higher education and the STEM enterprise may not only impact women’s career advancement but also have psychological and physical costs that manifest within their lives. This argument is based on job demands-resources theory. This study is part of a larger HU ADVANCE-IT Experience Study of HU ADVANCE-IT (http://huadvanceit.howard.edu). The research question we examined in this article is what is the nature of the motivators and barriers to practicing a healthy lifestyle for women STEM faculty at Howard University …show more content…
Negative emotional states such as depression and anxiety are pathways by which psychological stress is linked to chronic diseases. For example, depressive symptoms are associated with the increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and obesity (Cohen, Panguluri, Na, & Whooley, 2010; Faith, Matz, & Jorge, 2002). Reducing the risk for psychological distress in women STEM faculty needs to be a priority, given that women are vulnerable to chronic diseases like heart disease, obesity, and cancer, with heart disease and cancer being the leading causes of death for all women (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2013). Better overall health decreases the risk for psychological distress and women STEM faculty at Howard University are motivated to take the necessary steps to reduce and/or prevent such conditions. In addition, barriers to healthy living were also related to the increased likelihood of psychological distress. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the influence of barriers to healthy living on psychological distress, because this information provides important insights into the steps that are necessary to prevent or anticipate obstacles to healthy
We argued that the nature of work demands in contemporary higher education and the STEM enterprise may not only impact women’s career advancement but also have psychological and physical costs that manifest within their lives. This argument is based on job demands-resources theory. This study is part of a larger HU ADVANCE-IT Experience Study of HU ADVANCE-IT (http://huadvanceit.howard.edu). The research question we examined in this article is what is the nature of the motivators and barriers to practicing a healthy lifestyle for women STEM faculty at Howard University …show more content…
Negative emotional states such as depression and anxiety are pathways by which psychological stress is linked to chronic diseases. For example, depressive symptoms are associated with the increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and obesity (Cohen, Panguluri, Na, & Whooley, 2010; Faith, Matz, & Jorge, 2002). Reducing the risk for psychological distress in women STEM faculty needs to be a priority, given that women are vulnerable to chronic diseases like heart disease, obesity, and cancer, with heart disease and cancer being the leading causes of death for all women (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2013). Better overall health decreases the risk for psychological distress and women STEM faculty at Howard University are motivated to take the necessary steps to reduce and/or prevent such conditions. In addition, barriers to healthy living were also related to the increased likelihood of psychological distress. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the influence of barriers to healthy living on psychological distress, because this information provides important insights into the steps that are necessary to prevent or anticipate obstacles to healthy