Understanding the relationship between stress and health risk for women administrators in higher education

For years researchers have studied the impact of stress on health (McEwen, 2008; DeLongis, Folkman and Lazarus, 1988). Some have found that stress can be a precursor to a number of psychological and physiological health conditions (Osipow, Doty and Spokane, 1985; Wamala, et. al, 2000; Kivimaki, et. al, 2013; Virtanen, et. al, 2000; Choi, et. al, 2011; Winefield, et. al, 2002; DeLongis, Folkman and Lazarus, 1988). For women, biological factors like estrogen levels provide protection against the harmful impacts of stress. As women age however the body’s protection mechanism becomes compromised and the ability to fight off the physiological and physiological effects of stress may also become compromised (Theede, et. al, 2007; Saleh and Connell, 2003; Cohen and Janicki-Deverts, 2012). These findings suggest that how women manage stress has important implications for long term health (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012; Sorenson and Verbrugge, 1987; Curtis, 2011; Barnett, 1982). Higher education institutions provide a unique laboratory for exploring stress as women make-up just over half of those in administrative and executive level positions (NCES, 2010). This study explored the relationship between stress and health risk for women in administrative roles in higher education. Information was collected from 192 participants via a survey, as well as through open-ended response questions. Results showed a significant relationship between stress and mental health outcomes and suggest that coping is moderately responsible for the variance between the two. Further results suggest that women tend to employ ineffective coping strategies when dealing with stress over a period of time whereas results from open-ended response questions suggest that participants utilized effective strategies when dealing with daily stressors at work.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Community Health

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Kersh, Renique

Contributors dc:contributor

• Alston, Reginald J.
• Berkel, LaVerne
• Baber, Lorenzo D.
• Graber, Kim C.

• stress
• coping
• women administrators
• women in leadership
• women's health

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2014 Renique Kersh

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/50502

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/50502