Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Technostress among Cybersecurity Professionals; Current Knowledge and Future Directions: A Systematic Literature Review(University of Strathclyde, 2024-08) Alghamdi, Ohud; Farooq, AliAbstract: This systematic literature review (SLR) was carried out with the objective of comprehensively examining the current knowledge on technostress experienced by cybersecurity professionals and determining the gaps in literature and future research directions. Cybersecurity professionals are at an elevated risk of experiencing technostress because of the demanding nature of their work. These individuals experience several stress-inducing obstacles as they need to respond to security threats and incidents. The study examined the key technostress experienced by these professionals and how technostress affects the health and performance of these individuals. A search strategy including primary keywords “technostress” and “cybersecurity professionals” was used across different databases. After identifying studies relevant to these terms, the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to shortlist the studies that were appropriate for our research objectives. Five key drivers of technostress among cybersecurity professionals were identified. These included role ambiguity, high workload, job insecurity, lack of social support, and sleep quality. These stresses create high turnover rates among cybersecurity professionals, who quit their jobs because they are unable to cope with the role ambiguity, high workload, job insecurity, and evolving requirements of the field. Many employees also decide to change their fields and shift to another career. Technostress leads to burnout and strain, which adversely affects the job performance of employees as they are unable to remain productive in their work. The impact of technostress on cybersecurity professionals highlights the need for urgent interventions. By addressing the stressors and how they impact the cybersecurity workers, the health and well-being of these employees can increase, which would eventually lead to improvements in their performance and productivity. The study further discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the research and presents the direction for future research in this field.31 0Item Restricted “What is the impact of gardening on the psychological health of adults? A scoping review.”(Exeter University, 2024-03-06) Alomiri, Abeer; Garsid, RuthRecently, there have been concerns that the prevalence of mental disorders has increased significantly, threatening the mental health of a large segment of the population. Therefore, there has been a call to improve the psychological health of the general population using non-pharmacological interventions (e.g., gardening and green spaces). Although several scoping reviews have examined the psychological outcomes of green spaces, there is a lack of scoping reviews that examine the psychological outcomes of gardening. Scoping reviews in this research area can be valuable because they identify potential methodological limitations, informing future research. Further, they can explore the scope of evidence, which can identify unanswered research questions. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to explore the scope of evidence as well as identify the methodological limitations in this research area in order to inform future research. The scoping review was guided by a framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005). Different databases were used to access relevant studies, including Scopus, Medline, and the Web of Science Core Collection (WSCC). The search yielded 26 studies. Gardening can lead to a wide range of psychological outcomes, including a reduced risk of depression, with a higher effectiveness of community gardening in decreasing depression compared to individual/home gardening, a decrease in anxiety, mental resilience and relief from stress, escape, enjoyment, and relaxation, better cognitive performance, a sense of community and social relationships, and a greater sense of meaning of life, although there is a greater effect size in individualistic than collectivist cultures and an overly simplistic approach to the association between gardening and psychological outcomes. Further, there were several methodological limitations, such as limited use of objective measures (e.g., salivary cortisol levels, fMRI), a lack of use of the Core Outcome Sets (COS), a lack of studies with long-term follow-up, a lack of studies that examined the difference between doing the gardening activity and the mere presence of being at the gardening site, and a lack of studies from different countries (Africa, Asia, and South America). Limited studies examined the impact of mediators and moderators. Further, known facts were usually not taken into account. Researchers are advised to address these methodological gaps, as this will improve the quality of evidence in this emerging research area. Moreover, policymakers are advised to provide the required financial support to urban planners to increase the presence of gardens, as they can encourage local people to engage in gardening activities. Further, initiatives that introduce community gardening in public gardens can be adopted by local governments worldwide. Keywords: gardening, green spaces, psychological health, depression, anxiety, stress12 0Item Restricted Exercise and Stress among Graduate Students(University of Central Oklahoma, 2017-05-09) Aljuaid, Hana; Dentlinger, Nancy; Arnold, Barbra; Smith, KathlynnGiven the stressful nature of graduate students’ schedules, it is necessary to explore both how stress affects their lives and how it can be mitigated. Exercise has been empirically qualified as a positive coping mechanism against stress, citing improved physiological and emotional benefits. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between how often graduate students exercise and their score on the Benefits/Barriers Scale [EBBS]. The study used a quantitative, cross-sectional design. Results were gathered using an online questionnaire, then analyzed using Pearson’s correlation method to determine whether there was a relationship between how often graduate students exercised and their score on the Benefits/Barriers Scale [EBBS]. The findings obtained in this study, through statistical calculations reveal that exercising and stress are correlated to each other. Considering the effects, it imposes on university graduate students, the results indicated that correlation between exercise and stress is inverse, which implies that with better exercising habits, the stress level among these students decreases. This in turn enhances their psychological as well as physical health outcomes over the period of time.27 0Item Restricted The relationship between Extended work hours and stress among nurses in Saudi Military Hospitals(Barry University, 2024-01-12) Aljuaid, Hana; Chlaudette, ChinAbstract Background: Nursing professionals generally experience high levels of stress due to the nature of roles and responsibilities, however, it is likely also due to extended work hours. While there is existing information on long work hours and stress among nurses working in general healthcare facilities, there is a severe lack of information on the subject matter regarding nurses working in Saudi Arabian military hospitals. Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between extended working hours and levels of stress among nurses working in Saudi Arabian military hospitals. Theoretical Framework: Conservation of resources (COR) theory provided theoretical guidance for this study. Methods: A correlational design was used to examine the relationship between extended working hours and levels of stress amongst nurses in Saudi Arabian military hospitals. The participants completed a short demographic survey and ENSS questionnaire. Correlational followed by a regression analysis was used to establish what relationship exists between stress and experience. Results: Statistical analysis showed that hypotheses one through three were not supported. Hypothesis one, a Pearson correlation analysis, discovered that there is no statistically significant relationship between stress levels and shift length (r = 0.015, p = 0.408). Hypothesis two, a Pearson correlation analysis, discovered that there is no statistically significant relationship between stress levels and years of work experience (r = -0.005, p = 0.47). Hypothesis three, a standard multiple regression analysis, revealed that neither of the two predictors—shift length or years of work experience—were v significant predictors of stress levels F (2,230) = 0.03, p = 0.97, with a multiple correlation coefficient R2 value of 0. Conclusions: The results of this study contribute to an understanding of the relationship between extended work hours and stress among nurses in Saudi military hospitals. This area had not yet been addressed in previous studies. The main findings of this study highlighted that the positive social perspectives and strong work ethic of Filipino nurses can prevent these negative circumstances from occurring since these perspectives and ethics reduce the chances that nurses will experience higher levels of stress when working long/extended nursing shifts.37 0Item Restricted Wearable Technology for Mental Wellness Monitoring and Feedback(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-12-31) Alhejaili, Reham; Alomainy, AkramThis thesis investigates the transformative potential of wearable monitoring devices in empowering individuals to make positive lifestyle changes and enhance mental well-being. The primary objective is to assess the efficacy of these devices in addressing mental health issues, with a specific focus on stress and anxiety biomarkers. The research includes a systematic literature review that uniquely emphasizes integrating wearable technology into mental wellness, spanning diverse domains such as electronics, wearable technology, machine learning, and data analysis. This novel systematic literature review encompasses the period from 2010 to 2023, examining the profound impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) across various sectors, particularly healthcare. The thesis extensively explores wearable technologies capable of identifying a broad spectrum of human biomarkers and stress-related indicators, emphasizing their potential benefits for healthcare professionals. Challenges faced by participants and researchers in the practical implementation of wearable technology are addressed through survey analysis, providing substantial evidence for the potential of wearables in bolstering mental health within professional environments. Meticulous data analysis gathering from biosignals captured by wearables investigates the impact of stress factors and anxiety on individuals' mental well-being. The study concludes with a thorough discussion of the findings and their implications. Additionally, integrating Photoplethysmography (PPG) devices is highlighted as a significant advancement in capturing vital biomarkers associated with stress and mental well-being. Through light-based technology, PPG devices monitor blood volume changes in microvascular tissue, providing real-time information on heart rate variability (HRV). This non-invasive approach enables continuous monitoring, offering a dynamic understanding of physiological responses to stressors. The reliability of wearable devices equipped with PPG and Electroencephalography (EEG) sensors is emphasized in capturing differences in subject biomarkers. EEG devices measure brainwave patterns, providing insights into neural activity associated with stress and emotional states. The combination of PPG and EEG data enhances the precision of stress and mental well-being assessments, offering a holistic approach that captures peripheral physiological responses and central nervous system activity. In conclusion, integrating PPG devices with subjective methods and EEG sensors significantly advances stress and mental well-being assessment. This multidimensional approach improves measurement accuracy, laying the foundation for personalized interventions and innovative solutions in mental health care. The thesis also evaluates body sensors and their correlation with medically established gold references, exploring the potential of wearable devices in advancing mental health and well-being.20 0Item Restricted Palatable “comfort” food intake reduces HPA axis stress reactivity via cannabinoid receptor 1 signaling and is prevented by diet-induced obesity(2023-06-16) Almehmadi, Khulood; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M.Palatable food intake reduces physiological and emotional responses to stress – a phenomenon known as “comfort” feeding. However, the mechanisms by which palatable food blunts stress responses are not known and are important as overconsumption of palatable food contributes to the develop of obesity. To study these mechanisms, the Ulrich-Lai group previously developed a limited sucrose intake (LSI) feeding paradigm that reduces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis responses to acute stress in male rats, and in female rats specifically during the proestrus/estrus (p/e) stage of the estrous cycle. This dissertation uses the LSI paradigm to test the hypotheses that HPA-dampening by LSI is impaired in the context of diet-induced obesity (DIO; chapters 2 and 3), and that cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) signaling mediates HPA-dampening by LSI (chapter 4). We examined the HPA axis response to an acute restraint stressor in LSI-fed (vs. water control) rats that were maintained on either ad libitum normal chow (thereby remaining lean) or a high-fat high-sugar Western diet (WD) (to produce diet-induced obesity, DIO) for 8 weeks prior to LSI (using 3% and 30% sucrose vs. water controls). Data from male and female rats are shown in chapters 3 and 4, respectively; the female data includes estrous cycle stage in the analysis. In both male and female rats, WD effectively increased body fat. Moreover, male chow-fed lean rats who received either 3% or 30% sucrose had a blunted plasma corticosterone response to restraint stress, but this effect was absent in male WD-fed DIO rats, indicating that WD-obesity prevents HPA-dampening by LSI. In contrast, LSI did not alter post-stress plasma corticosterone in either chow (lean) or WD-fed (DIO) female rats, regardless of estrous cycle. Notably, the positive control condition (lean females given LSI using 30% sucrose and tested during p/e) did not show HPA axis dampening as seen in prior experiments. However, the female results are difficult to interpret as there were construction disturbances in the animal facility during this experiment that may have confounded measurements of HPA axis reactivity. In chapter 4, we examined the possible neural mechanisms that mediate the stress relieving effect of palatable food intake. The endocannabinoid system is well-poised to mediate HPA-dampening effect by LSI due to its ability to promote feeding behavior and reduce stress responses. We examined the role of iii endocannabinoid system by using systemic vs. central pharmacological antagonism of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) and tested the effect on the HPA axis stress response in LSI-fed male and female rats. The results suggest that blocking CB1R signaling impairs LSI’s HPA-dampening effect in male rats, and in female rats during p/e. Collectively, these experiments identify a novel neurobiological mechanism that contributes to the stress-dampening effects of palatable feeding and indicate that this stress-dampening is prevented during obesity. This has important implications, suggesting that obesity may impair LSI’s effects by disrupting endocannabinoid system function. Moreover, impaired stress relief during obesity may suggest that obese individuals require larger amounts of palatable foods to maintain effective stress relief in the face of escalating body weight.12 0Item Restricted THE INTERACTION OF STRESS AND PHONOLOGICAL VARIATION IN QASSIMI ARABIC(2023) Alnuqaydan, Ahmed; Kaplan, AaronThis dissertation studies the phonology and phonetics of an understudied variety of Arabic: Qassimi Arabic (QA). It acoustically investigates the QA prosodic system and examines its interaction with segmental phonology. Various optional and categorical phonological processes arise from such interaction. The analyses for the optional processes are tested against a handful of optionality theories, namely, Partial Orders, Noisy Harmonic Grammar, Maximum Entropy, and rank-ordered model of EVAL. Only the first two models are compatible with the QA optional data. QA has a default-to-left stress: primary stress falls on the rightmost heavy syllable, otherwise, it falls on the initial syllable. The acoustic experiment’s results show that stress is expressed by longer duration, greater intensity, higher F0 and higher F1. An Optimality Theoretic (OT) account of the QA stress system is provided. This forms the foundation for various analyses of the optional and categorical phonological processes. Triconsonantal clusters (CCCs) in QA exhibit a complicated behavior that can only be explained by taking into account the interaction between morphosyntax, phonology and perceptibility factors. Word-internal CCCs are avoided by vowel epenthesis. Monomorphemic CCCs are variably realized as CVCC or CCVC in an older dialect, while a younger dialect categorically produces CCVC. Monomorphemic CVCC satisfies a tendency of placing heavy stressed syllables close to the right edge of the word while CCVC avoids stressed epenthetic vowels. Word-internal heteromorphemic CCCs are categorically avoided by vowel epenthesis at the morpheme boundary, a consequence of O-CONTIGUITY. However, epenthesis does not occur in two situations: when the third consonant is a glide (a fact attributed to the glide’s ability to host the middle C’s perceptual cues), and when CCC arises across word boundaries. Certain combinations of pronominal suffixes exhibit optional alternations that facilitate placing heavy stressed syllables close to the right edge of the word. These alternations can be blocked by homophony avoidance. Other combinations of pronominal suffixes do not undergo the optional alternations suggesting that when certain morphosyntactic features are present in the input, the suffixes are treated underlyingly as one which explains the blockage of optionality.18 0