Lifestyle behaviours, psychological wellbeing and cardiovascular disease in women executives and senior management
Date
2016
Authors
Crowhurst, Rhiannon
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Abstract
This study investigated whether the lifestyle behaviours and psychological well-being of
women executives and managers predicted their ten-year risk of developing cardiovascular
disease. The sample of South African women executives and managers work in a variety of
industries in the cities of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. The study sought to determine
the predictability of the women executives and managers’ risk of developing cardiovascular
disease through examining their level of alcohol consumption, level of physical exercise and
the nutritional and dietary choices that they made as well as their level of depression, anxiety
and stress. The data was gathered through an executive health and wellness programme and
logistic regression and Chi-squared tests of association were used in conducting the analyses.
The results suggested that the level of alcohol consumption and the nutritional and dietary
choices made were predictive of the individual’s ten-year risk of developing cardiovascular
disease. Additionally, the level of anxiety was found to be associated with the risk of
developing cardiovascular disease. The results suggest that both individuals and organisations
should prioritise the changing of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, specifically excessive alcohol
consumption and daily dietary choices, in order to lower their risk of developing cardiovascular
disease.
Description
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts Masters
(Industrial/ Organisational Psychology) in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg.
March, 2016
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Citation
Crowhurst, Rhiannon (2016) Lifestyle behaviours, psychological wellbeing and cardiovascular disease in women executives and senior management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/21824>