Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Factors Affecting Remote Workers’ Job Satisfaction In Utah: An Exploratory Study, Amanda D. Ali, Lendel K. Narine, Paul A. Hill, Dominic C. Bria

Extension Research

With structural changes in work arrangements, employee retention becomes more important for organizational success. Guided by the Ability, Motivation, Opportunity (AMO) framework, this study investigated the factors affecting remote workers’ job satisfaction and personal wellbeing in Utah. From a sample of n = 143 remote workers, the study used a correlational design to identify the significant predictors of job satisfaction and personal wellbeing. It mapped the relationships between significant predictors of job satisfaction and personal wellbeing and explored the role of human resources (HR) policies and organizational culture in a remote work environment. Results showed intrinsic motivation, affective commitment, opportunity, …

Utah College Sexual Behavior Survey: Initial Findings Report, Cris Meier, Julie Gast, Tyson Barrett, Melissa Ferguson, Demi Culianos, Lily Ward

Extension Research

The purpose of the Utah College Sexual Behavior project was to establish the reliability and validity of the retrospective measures used in the survey and gain a better understanding of the sexual behaviors of Utah youth by asking Utah State University (USU) students about their sexual behaviors as youth.

Professional Education To Reduce Provider Stigma Toward Harm Reduction And Pharmacotherapy, Sandra H. Sulzer, Suzanne Prevedel, Tyson Barrett, Maren Wright Voss, Cassandra Manning, Erin Fanning Madden

Extension Research

Aims: A novel professional training was developed to reduce stigma toward harm reduction and pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders.

Methods: The training was delivered over three sessions to n = 147 health professionals in Utah between 2019 and 2020, including n = 40 substance use disorder treatment professionals. Pre and post-training survey measures provided evaluation information on knowledge, attitudes, and planned action regarding harm reduction and pharmacotherapy. Items were grouped into a stigma score, and multilevel modeling, regression analyses, and McNemar tests were used to quantify changes in overall stigma toward harm reduction interventions both before and after the training. …

Recognition And Stigma Of Prescription Drug Abuse Disorder: Personal And Community Determinants, Robert Shupp, Scott Loveridge, Mark Skidmore, Brandn Green, Don Albrecht

Extension Research

Background

Prescription drug abuse (PDA) disorders continue to contribute to the current American opioid crisis. Within this context, our study seeks to improve understanding about stigma associated with, and symptom recognition of, prescription drug abuse.

Aims

Model the stigma and symptom recognition of PDA in the general population.

Methods

A randomized, nation-wide, online, vignette-focused survey of the general public (N = 631) was implemented with an oversample for rural counties. Logit estimation was used for analysis, with regional and county-level sociodemographic variables as controls.

Results

Individual respondents that self-identify as having or having had “a prescription drug abuse issue” were …

Importance Of Adding Objective Data To Stakeholder Data In Needs Assessments, Jonathan J. Swinton, Tasha Killian, Paige Wray

Extension Research

When completing a needs assessment, Extension professionals should include both objective county data and stakeholder input data. Specifically, Extension professionals should identify potential areas of need, source available objective data, source data from relevant county stakeholders, and analyze similarities and differences in objective and stakeholder data. Needs assessments should be conducted in this manner to confirm the needs of a county; address risk of data skewed by subjective stakeholder opinion, particularly in small counties; and identify areas of greatest need. This method has been shown to be effective through implementation in a target rural county.

Scaling Community Health Coalitions: The Well Connected Communities Pilot Initiative, Sandra H. Sulzer, Stacey Macarthur, Zurishaddai Garcia, Christine E. Jensen, Suzanne Prevedel, Maren Wright Voss

Extension Research

We outline the process and development of the Well Connected Communities health initiative as undertaken in three Utah communities. This transformative community-focused alternative to addressing public health issues through Extension situates local communities as the origin for health decision making. The initiative recognizes the need for varied community statuses (i.e., planner, implementer, and innovator) based on varying levels of readiness and diversity of populations. We concluded that the Utah Well Connected Communities initiative aligns well with the 2014 Extension Committee on Organization and Policy National Framework for Health and Wellness. Replication requirements and implications for other Extension programs are presented.

Extension Needs Outreach Innovation Free From The Harms Of Social Media, Jonathan J. Swinton

Extension Research

Despite the outreach-building benefits of social media for Extension, it is time for Extension professionals to find new innovative ways to reach out that do not involve social media. An increasing body of research has demonstrated the harms social media use imparts on the health and well-being of those in our communities. Our future use of social media as a primary method of outreach may perpetuate these harms, requiring our best efforts to develop new methods of outreach that do not negatively affect those we serve.

Boundaries Of The Construct Of Unemployment In The Pre-Retirement Years: Exploring An Expanded Measurement Of Lost-Work Opportunity, Maren Wright Voss, Soham Al Snih, Wei Li, Man Hung, Lorie Gage Richards

Extension Research

There is uncertainty related to whether retirement negatively affects health—possibly due to complexity around retirement decisions. Lost-work opportunity through unemployment or forced retirement has been shown to negatively affect health. Lost-work opportunity can be captured in two measurement fields, either a reported experience of being forced into retirement or reported unemployment. However, 17% of individuals retiring due to the loss of work opportunity identified in qualitative interviewing (i.e., unemployment, temporary lay-offs, company buy-outs, forced relocations, etc.) do not report this unemployment or involuntary retirement in quantitative survey responses. We propose broadening the conceptualization of late-career unemployment to incorporate other lost …

A Residential Camp’S Impact On Youths’ Leadership Skills And Natural Resource Knowledge, Shandra Nicole Frey, Vernon Parent

Extension Research

Learning transcends the classroom. To better understand the natural world around them, it is critical that youth have opportunities to make connections and apply their learning in real-world settings. Improving youths’ perceived skills and knowledge contributes to increased academic motivation and continued leadership development. Multi-day residential natural resource camps have shown the ability to teach ecological concepts and develop land management skills, critical thinking skills, and decision-making skills. We tested the ability of a remotely located residential camp to improve leadership skills and natural resource knowledge, using a pre- and post-camp self-assessment, combined with a pre- and post-camp knowledge test. …