Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37358880›Full record

ArticleGlobal health action2023

Validating a modified instrument for measuring Demand-Control-Support among students at a large university in southern Sweden.

Jack W Palmieri, Anette Agardh, Per-Olof Östergren

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Global health action, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Jack W PalmieriSocial Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-7430-3157
Anette AgardhSocial Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-1879-7244
Per-Olof ÖstergrenSocial Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-7903-6668

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUniversity students experience a distinct working environment in the context of completing their studies. In line with existing research into the connection between workplace environment and stress, it is rational to believe that such study environments can affect the level of stress that students experience. However, few instruments have been developed for measuring this.

objectiveThe aim of this study was to validate a modified instrument based on the Demand-Control-Support (DCS) model among students at a large university in southern Sweden to determine its utility for assessing the psychosocial properties of the study environment.

methodsData from a survey performed at a Swedish university in 2019, which generated 8960 valid cases, was used. Of these cases, 5410 studied a course or programme at bachelor level, 3170 a course or programme at master level, and 366 a combination of courses and programmes on the two levels (14 missing). A 22-item DCS-instrument for students was used comprising four scales: Psychological workload (demand) with nine items, Decision latitude (control) with eight items, supervisor/lecturer support with four items, and colleague/student support with three items. Construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha.

resultsThe results of the exploratory factor analysis of the Demand-Control components support a 3-dimension solution with dimensions corresponding to psychological demands, skill discretion, and decision authority in the original DCS model. Cronbach's alpha coefficients were acceptable for Control (0.60) and Student Support (0.72) and very good for the Demand and Supervisor Support scales (0.81 and 0.84, respectively).

conclusionsThe results suggest that the validated 22-item DCS-instrument is a reliable and valid tool for assessing Demand, Control, and Support elements of the psychosocial study environment among student populations. Further research is necessary to examine the predictive validity of this modified instrument.

Indexed as

StudentsWorkloadHumansPsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsSurveys and QuestionnairesSwedenUniversitiesDemand-Control-Supportfactor analysissexual harassmentstudy environmentUniversity students

Identifiers

PMID37358880
PMCPMC10294757

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.