Home-based remote work becomes increasingly popular. The facets of remote work, especially working from home, are multifaceted and can become stressors that affect a person’s health. At the same time, self-efficacy is an important personal resource to deal with health-related stressors. The objective of this study is therefore to explore the relationship between self-efficacy (SE), work-related stress (WRS), health outcomes (health and anxiety), contributing factors (autonomy and experience) and work-family conflict (WFC) in a remote work setting. Using a PLS-model (partial least square) with a sample of n = 5163 responses, we found that SE significantly reduces WRS (β = −0.164; p < 0.001). Moreover, WFC increases WRS and anxiety, while SE reduces WFC and mediates health outcomes (anxiety: β = −0.065; p < 0.001; health: β = −0.048; p < 0.001). At the same time, autonomy (β = 0.260; p < 0.001) and experience (β = 0.215; p < 0.001) increase SE. Our results have high practical implications for employers and employees, underlining the importance of self-efficacy as a personal resource to buffer WRS and WFC while promoting overall health at the same time.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is an umbrella term for various algorithms and rapidly emerging technologies with huge potential for workplace health promotion and prevention (WHPP). WHPP interventions aim to improve people’s health and well-being through behavioral and organizational measures or by minimizing the burden of workplace-related diseases and associated risk factors. While AI has been the focus of research in other health-related fields, such as public health or biomedicine, the transition of AI into WHPP research has yet to be systematically investigated. Objective: The systematic scoping review aims to comprehensively assess an overview of the current use of AI in WHPP. The results will be then used to point to future research directions. The following research questions were derived: (1) What are the study characteristics of studies on AI algorithms and technologies in the context of WHPP? (2) What specific WHPP fields (prevention, behavioral, and organizational approaches) were addressed by the AI algorithms and technologies? (3) What kind of interventions lead to which outcomes? Methods: A systematic scoping literature review (PRISMA-ScR [Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews]) was conducted in the 3 academic databases PubMed, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and Association for Computing Machinery in July 2023, searching for papers published between January 2000 and December 2023. Studies needed to be (1) peer-reviewed, (2) written in English, and (3) focused on any AI-based algorithm or technology that (4) were conducted in the context of WHPP or (5) an associated field. Information on study design, AI algorithms and technologies, WHPP fields, and the patient or population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes framework were extracted blindly with Rayyan and summarized. Results: A total of 10 studies were included. Risk prevention and modeling were the most identified WHPP fields (n=6), followed by behavioral health promotion (n=4) and organizational health promotion (n=1). Further, 4 studies focused on mental health. Most AI algorithms were machine learning-based, and 3 studies used combined deep learning algorithms. AI algorithms and technologies were primarily implemented in smartphone apps (eg, in the form of a chatbot) or used the smartphone as a data source (eg, Global Positioning System). Behavioral approaches ranged from 8 to 12 weeks and were compared to control groups. Additionally, 3 studies evaluated the robustness and accuracy of an AI model or framework. Conclusions: Although AI has caught increasing attention in health-related research, the review reveals that AI in WHPP is marginally investigated. Our results indicate that AI is promising for individualization and risk prediction in WHPP, but current research does not cover the scope of WHPP. Beyond that, future research will profit from an extended range of research in all fields of WHPP, longitudinal data, and reporting guidelines. Trial Registration: OSF Registries osf.io/bfswp; https://osf.io/bfswp

We report on (Zn,Cd)O thin films, grown by pulsed laser deposition on a-plane sapphire substrates with high Cd-contents up to 0.25. By incorporating Cd in ZnO and by applying a low growth temperature of about ${300}^{°}\mathrm{C}$ , the (Zn,Cd)O related luminescence redshifts to an energy of 2.46 eV as a result of the large Cd-content of 0.25. The redshift of the bandgap energy was additionally proven by transmission measurements. By fitting the transmission curves, the spectra of the absorption coefficient and the index of refraction are calculated. The (Zn,Cd)O thin films are single phase and exhibit the wurtzite crystal structure. An increasing a- and c-lattice constant is observed with increasing Cd-content.

Background: The emerging adulthood is traditionally viewed as a time of optimal health, but also as a critical life span, characterized by changing life circumstances and the establishment of an individual lifestyle. Especially university life seems to hold several challenges impeding the manifestation of a health supporting manner, as many students tend to show a poorer health behavior and a higher amount of health-related problems than comparable age groups. This, along with a steady growth of the higher education sector, brings increased attention to the university setting in the context of prevention. To date, there are few empirical longitudinal and coherent cross-sectional data on the status of students’ health literacy, health status, and health behaviors, and on the impact of the study format on students’ health. The aim of this prospective cohort study is to reduce this research gap. Methods: Starting during winter semester 2020/21, the prospective cohort study collects data on health literacy, health status and health behavior on a semester-by-semester basis. All enrolled students of the IST University of Applied Sciences, regardless of study format and discipline, can participate in the study at the beginning of their first semester. The data are collected digitally via a specifically programmed app. A total of 103 items assess the subjectively perceived health status, life and study satisfaction, sleep quality, perceived stress, physical activity, diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, drug addiction and health literacy. Statistical analysis uses (1) multivariate methods to look at changes within the three health dimensions over time and (2) the association between the three health dimensions using multiple regression methods and correlations. Discussion: This cohort study collects comprehensive health data from students on the course of study. It is assumed that gathered data will provide information on how the state of health develops over the study period. Also, different degrees of correlations of health behavior and health literacy will reveal different impacts on the state of students’ health. Furthermore, this study will contribute to empirically justified development of target group-specific interventions. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00023397 (registered on October 26, 2020).

Objective: Stress is an extensive issue in modern society, affecting men and women differently. A better understanding of these patterns is required within the work context. Therefore, this study aimed to identify gender differences in the effects of stressors (quantitative demands, qualitative demands, working time) and resources (job control, quality of leadership, co-worker support) on subjective perceived stress across occupational groups.Methods: This study was conducted as a secondary data analysis based on the ‘German Study on Mental Health at Work’ data. The national representative cross-sectional sample included 4,118 employees. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.Results: Correlations between quantitative demands, working time, co-worker support, quality of leadership, job control, and subjective perceived stress were first confirmed for a total sample of employees. Gender differences in these interactions were then analyzed using multi-group equation modeling and a gender-stratified sample. Men and women showed an increase in subjective perceived stress for high quantitative demands. This increase was more prominent for men. Women further showed an increase in subjective perceived stress in response to long working time. High co-worker support, quality of leadership, and job control had stress-reducing effects but did not result in significant gender differences. No association was found between qualitative demands and subjective perceived stress.Conclusion: The results underline that not all working conditions significantly impact stress for both genders and gender differences exist only within the stressors. Hence, gendered strategies may only be required in some constellations. However, specific contexts require integrating gendered approaches in research and operational practice.