Background: Ten percent of sexually active men in sub-Saharan Africa report having had sex with a sex worker - a subpopulation facing a disproportionate burden of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In South Africa, an estimated 5% of new heterosexual HIV infections are attributable to female sex workers and 42% to their male clients. Despite this high vulnerability, empirical research on male clients of sex workers remains limited. Purpose: This study examined behavioral and cognitive determinants of self-reported condom use among male construction worker clients of sex workers in the Western Cape, South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 227 male construction workers who reported sex with a female sex worker in the preceding three months. Participants were recruited across 18 construction sites operated by seven companies in the Western Cape. Three measures of self-reported condom use were analyzed: (1) condom use at last sex with a sex worker (retrospective), (2) frequency of condom use with sex workers in the past three months (retrospective), and (3) intention to use a condom at next sex with a sex worker (prospective). Logistic and multiple regression analyses were used to identify predictors of condom use across these measures. Results: Respondents’ engagement in risky sexual behaviors, HIV/AIDS transmission knowledge, attitudes toward condom use, and perceived control over condom use were statistically significant predictors across models. Conclusion: The construction industry’s high labor mobility, informality, and limited access to health services - combined with the criminalization of sex work, entrenched masculinities, and unequal power dynamics in condom negotiation - create a unique risk environment for male clients of sex workers. The study underscores the importance of using both retrospective and prospective measures to accurately capture condom-use behavior, with the prospective measure (intention to use condoms) demonstrating the greatest explanatory power. These findings have implications for the design of future survey instruments and interventions aimed at reducing HIV risk among this population.

Male clients of sex workers in South Africa are at high risk for HIV, yet limited research has examined the psychological factors influencing their condom use intentions. This study addressed this gap by assessing the mediating roles of positive attitudes towards condom use, condom use self-efficacy, and perceived norms in the relationship between past condom use and intentions to use condoms. A cross-sectional survey was used to obtain data from male construction workers who reported sexual intercourse with a sex worker in the past three months. Using a parallel multiple mediator model, the analysis revealed that condom use self-efficacy (β = 0.060, 95

The construction industry exhibits higher rates of depression in its workforce compared to other industries. This study investigates the association between the prevalence of depressive symptoms and various demographic (e.g., age, ethnicity, education), social, and work-related factors (e.g., relationship status, living environment, work situation) and behavioural factors (e.g., alcohol and drug use). Survey data collected from 496 male construction workers working in the Western Cape were analysed using binomial logistic regression to determine the associations. The results showed that ‘Black African’ construction workers exhibited lower levels of depressive symptoms than ‘Other’ ethnic groups, and workers with at least secondary education had the highest levels of depressive symptoms compared to workers with other levels of education. Workers who were single or living with other adults without children had a significantly higher risk of depression compared to those in other forms of family relationships. Substance use was found to be associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, suggesting that construction workers use alcohol and drugs as a coping strategy for short-term depressive symptom reduction. Construction organisations should develop strategies to protect the mental health of construction workers, particularly those who are prone to depression.

Construction workers in South Africa are an at-risk group for HIV/AIDS. Substance misuse, other than alcohol, is associated with poor decision-making, risky lifestyle behaviour, and non-use of condoms. Substance misuse is also associated with harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption and depression. The Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) is a widely used screening tool to detect drug abuse. The present study examines both the psychometric properties of the DUDIT and the prevalence of drug abuse among construction workers. A field study involving 496 male workers at 18 construction sites of seven construction companies in the Western Cape province of South Africa, was undertaken. Descriptive statistics, reliability, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to determine the prevalence of substance use, and the dimensionality, reliability and construct validity of the DUDIT. Approximately 10% of participants reported some form of substance use. Four hundred and sixty-seven employees (94.2%) were determined not to have drug-related problems (DUDIT score < 6). Of the at-risk employees (score >5), 5.0% (n = 25) were classified as 'possibly having a drug-related problem' (score 6-24) and 0.8% (n = 4) as 'possibly highly dependent on drugs' (score 25 or more). Of the 47 employees who reported drug use, 29 (61.7%) were classified as having a medium to high risk in relation to drug use. The internal consistency of the DUDIT was very good. The DUDIT reported a one-factor factorial structure, and the model fit indices indicated good model fit to the data. All factor loadings were significant, but there was some evidence of collinearity. Concurrent validity was demonstrated. DUDIT items 1 and 10 require further investigation due to their poor performance compared to the other items. The contribution of these two items needs to be investigated using item response theory (IRT).

This study investigates the predictors of consistent condom use among male construction workers in South Africa who reported concurrent sexual relationships with regular partners, casual partners, and sex workers over a 3-month period. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 450 male workers across 18 construction work sites in the Western Cape province. Of these, 245 (54%) indicated that they had engaged in sex with all three partner types during the 3-month study period. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was then used to assess consistent condom use as a function of demographic, experiential, behavioural and cognitive characteristics. Three statistically significant predictors of consistent condom use were identified: perceived control over condom use (beta = 0.252, p < 0.001), positive attitude toward condom use (beta = 0.154, p < 0.05) and fear of HIV infection (beta = 0.121, p < 0.05). These findings highlight the high prevalence of sexual concurrency among study participants. It also suggests that amid declining condom use, interventions which focus on enhancing an individuals' condom application skills and efficacy, that foster positive attitudes toward condom use and that strategically incorporate fear-based messaging within a multilevel framework may potentially increase condom use among individuals in concurrent sexual relationships.

There are indications that gender has an effect on individual risk factors and pathways to HIV diagnoses and treatment. Furthermore, there is growing recognition that to improve HIV-related health outcomes for men, it is important to understand their experiences and perspectives. Perhaps because of the physical nature of construction work, the South African construction industry is dominated by men. Given that employed men are a hard-to-reach community population group, the construction workplace offers an ideal environment for data collection and delivery of non-health-facility-based HIV prevention and treatment interventions. Furthermore, workers in the construction industry have been identified as being at a heightened risk of acquiring HIV and AIDS because of work-related travel, the ubiquity of transactional sex around worker hostels and having an increased likelihood of multiple and concurrent sex partnerships. As a consequence, this study examines the association between condom use and sexual partnerships among men working in the construction industry. A purposive cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from 450 workers across 18 construction sites in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The types of sexual partnership had three categories: regular sex partnerships, casual sex partnerships and sex worker partnerships. Frequency of condom use was determined to be highest with casual sex partners (51.2%), followed by sex workers (40.6%) and regular sex partners (25.6%). Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the demographic, experiential, behavioural and cognitive predictors of condom use across the three categories of sexual partnership. The results indicate that an individual's perception of control over condom use, and the perceived threat posed by HIV and AIDS are significantly associated with consistent condom use, even after accounting for differences in partner type. Implications of the findings are discussed, and directions for future research on the association between sexual partnerships and condom use are offered.

The special collection on Leadership and Employee Well-Being in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) Industry is available in the ASCE Library (https://ascelibrary.org/jmenea /leadership_employee_aec).Leadership and employee well-being are two key contributors to project and organizational performance.Although these two topics are well researched in disciplines such as psychology, management, and organizational behavior, they remain insufficiently explored in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) literature.This lack of an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of leadership and well-being has led to missed opportunities for AEC firms to develop and implement innovative, effective, and evidencebased strategies to support leadership development and employee well-being.Extant literature has acknowledged the importance of context in influencing leadership behavior and employee well-being.To this end, the AEC industry is different from other business contexts due to its highly complex and labor-intensive production processes, fragmented and risk-prone business environment, and stressful and hazardous working conditions.These unique features have called for further conceptual, theoretical, and empirical investigation into whether (and to what extent) the well-developed leadership and employee well-being theories and practices in other disciplines are (or are not) applicable to the AEC industry.This special collection thus aims to be a catalyst to seeking contributions that deepen and broaden the leadership and employee well-being research and practices in the AEC industry.To achieve this aim, this collection was envisaged to solicit more research in this field, including (1) constructive (or destructive) leadership behaviors, styles, skills, and traits at different levels (e.g.executives, project managers, or on-site supervisors) for managing AEC teams with various employment conditions (e.g., trades, union/nonunion,

Alcohol consumption is an accepted part of many social and cultural practices, but excessive alcohol consumption is a global public health concern. Aside of its detrimental effects on health, it is linked to HIV-related health behaviours such as unprotected sex, multiple/concurrent sexual partnerships, and lower levels of HIV testing. Little is known about the association between alcohol use and HIV-related heath behaviours in construction. Using data from 450 workers drawn from 18 construction sites in the Western Cape, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to predict alcohol risk of harm as a function of demographic characteristics and sex-related behaviours among workers. Binary logistic regression determined factors associated with increased risk of alcohol harm. The most proximal factor predicting risk of alcohol harm was the frequency of alcohol or drug use before and/or during sex, followed by attitude towards condom use, education, and HIV testing behaviour. Future research efforts should develop a better appreciation of the role of sex-related alcohol expectancies in explaining harmful alcohol use, and intervention management practices should focus on this.

The construction industry is notorious for poor work-life balance (WLB) due to its strong culture of long working hours, nonstandard work schedules, and variable work duration. Extant construction literature highlights that the poor WLB in the industry is a work stressor that leads to a low level of organizational commitment (OC), which is a strong predictor of employee turnover and productivity. However, little attention has been paid to understanding how WLB affects OC, which could hinder construction organizations from developing targeted measures to improve OC. This study addressed this gap by using the A Shortened Stress Evaluation Tool (ASSET) model grounded in occupational stress theory to depict the underlying mechanisms of how WLB affects OC through the mediation effect psychological well-being [i.e., positive emotions (PE) and sense of purpose (SP)]. The ASSET questionnaire was used to measure the constructs via an online questionnaire survey administered to construction professionals around the globe registered with the Association for Project Management, the Chartered Institute of Building, and the Project Management Institute. A total of 255 valid responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Contrary to previous research, this study found that WLB does not have a direct impact on OC. Instead, it affects OC through the mediation effects of SP and PE. These results indicate that construction firms could benefit from enhancing SP and PE to yield greater organizational commitment rather than emphasizing enhanced WLB per se. This could be done by increasing employee participation in setting goals and objectives, clarifying the meaning and purpose of work, working to align work goals and objectives with employees' sense of meaning and purpose, and generating a greater frequency of experienced positive emotions by creating work environments that satisfy the psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

The global trend of poorer outcomes across the HIV treatment cascade for men has drawn attention to the importance of engaging men in prevention and treatment services. The South African construction industry is one of the economic sectors most adversely affected by HIV/AIDS. Previous research on HIV testing behaviour among workers in the industry has revealed that male workers are less likely to be tested than female workers. Given this gender differential, this study employed a field-administered survey to gather data from 450 site-based, male construction workers in Western Cape, South Africa. An integrated model comprising demographic, cognitive, and behavioural factors was then hypothesised to explain HIV testing behaviour. Bivariate analysis and structural equation modelling were then used to test the model. Findings indicate that HIV knowledge, having previously had an STI, and possessing a positive attitude towards HIV testing are terminal predictors of testing behaviour. As a strategy for positively influencing testing behaviour, employers should ensure that effective communication about HIV testing is established with workers across all levels of education and ethnic groups. Interventions relating to risky sexual behaviour need particular attention, and where possible HIV testing should be coupled with general STI screening.

The demanding work environment of the construction industry has spawned many studies on construction professionals' experiences of work-to-family conflict. Relatively less attention has been placed on family-to-work conflict. Many employees in modern organizations play a role in both work and family domains and juggle between work and family responsibilities, underscoring the need to holistically understand work-family experiences of construction professionals. This study considered the bi-directional nature of work-family conflict and proposed an integrated research model to examine the work-family interface among South African construction professionals. Data (n = 864) were collected through an online survey administered to construction professionals registered with their respective statutory councils. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to test the research hypotheses. Within the work domain, work demands (i.e., work pressure and work hours) affect work-to-family conflict, both directly and indirectly, through the boundary-spanning demand of role blurring. Regarding workplace social support, only co-worker support is negatively associated with work-to-family conflict but not supervisor support. Within the family domain, the number of young children living at home and household task demands are positively associated with family-to-work conflict, while partner support is negatively associated with family-to-work conflict. Work-to-family conflict positively affects family-to-work conflict, but not the reverse. Work demands and role blurring experienced by professionals are likely to be affected by their job position and level of work authority. The findings suggest that organizations in the construction industry should protect their employees from experiencing excessive work-family conflict through creating a socially-supportive workplace environment, providing work-family programmes that foster greater boundary flexibility, and implementing effective work design characterised by reasonable workloads and work hours.

Abstract Construction is a demanding work environment. Many construction professionals experience workplace stress, leading to physiological, psychological and sociological strain effects. They adopt a variety of coping mechanisms to manage these effects. A purposive sample of 36 construction professionals (architects, project managers, construction managers, civil engineers and quantity surveyors) in Cape Town, South Africa, were surveyed regarding their perceptions of workplace strain effects and stress counter measures. The Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric tests were used for data analysis. The findings show that the highest-ranked strain effects in terms of impact were (in descending order): “frustration”, “fatigue”, “strain on personal relationships”, “strain on professional relationships”, and “anger/irritability”. Male professionals identified greater fatigue and frustration effects than females; while females felt a greater lack of self-confidence. The highest-ranked coping mechanisms in terms of impact were “travel”, “non-competitive sporting activity”, “music”, “increased caffeine intake”, and “walking”. Males preferred more intensive physical activities than did females. Architects experienced anxiety more frequently than other professional groups. This study confirms important strain effects experienced by construction professionals and highlights the nature and effectiveness of counter measures. Limitations of the study include its exploratory nature and small sample size. Future research should establish the associations between strain effects and coping measures, in terms of how construction organizations can better support wellbeing among their professional employees.

A research model was proposed investigating the relationships between work demand, role blurring, work-to-family conflict, and health and wellbeing consequences, and the model was tested on registered South African construction professionals. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyze the data collected from an online survey. The research results show that work pressure is a salient antecedent to all role blurring activities, i.e. after-hours work contact, pre-occupation with work, and multi-tasking between job tasks and family tasks whilst at home. Work hours directly predict work contact but indirectly affect pre-occupation and multi-tasking via the mediating role of work contact. All role blurring activities are positively associated with construction professionals' experience of work-to-family conflict, which subsequently leads to depression and sleep problems. The results also show that depression affects the quality of sleep and construction professionals are likely to use alcohol consumption to cope with sleep problems. However, depression was found to be negatively associated with alcohol consumption, which calls for a more fine-grained analysis of the relationship. The study highlights the importance of appropriate work design with manageable workloads and reasonable work hours, and the promotion of boundary tactics for reducing work-family role blurring and conflict experienced by construction professionals.

In an increasingly interconnected world, the global spread of COVID-19 was rapid. On 30 January 2020, the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and on 11 Marc...

symptoms (items 4-6), and harmful alcohol use (items 7-10).The AUDIT responses are each denoted a score in the AUDIT table (e.g., 'Never' = 0, 'less than monthly' = 1, '2-4 times a month' = 2, and so on).The total AUDIT score is determined by adding the scores of all of the responses.The maximum score is 40.Total AUDIT scores lower than 8 indicate low-risk alcohol use.Scores in the range 8-15 indicate medium risk and a hazardous drinking pattern, those in the range 16-19 indicate high-risk and a harmful drinking pattern, whilst those 20+ are indicative of very high risk and a dependent drinking pattern.An assessment of hazardous or harmful drinking is made if the score is 8 or more [12].Although the AUDIT was initially developed as a one-dimensional measure, evidence relating to the factorial structure is equivocal.Whilst the

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between cultural diversity in teams and team members' individual well-being. The paper further explores the relationship between social resources, social stressors, team member well-being and the influence of the type of team individuals are working in (mono- vs. multicultural), gender and individualism/collectivism (IC).Design/methodology/approachUsing data collected via an online survey, the authors analyzed 659 responses from individuals working in mono- and multicultural work teams. A theoretical model explaining the influence of social stressors, social resources, and social and demographic variables was proposed and tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results indicate that members of multicultural work teams perceive significantly more social stressors and lower levels of social resources than do members of monocultural teams. Higher levels of social stressors suggest decreased psychological well-being, while social resources have an indirect positive effect on psychological well-being. Furthermore, personal characteristics, namely, individualism and gender, have direct effects on the perception of social stressors and indirect effects on team member well-being.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates that cultural diversity in teams can influence the social stressors and resources that individual team members experience. Moreover, the pivotal role of social resources in the facilitation of team member well-being is highlighted primarily through its direct effect on social stressors and its concomitant indirect effect on well-being.

Risky sexual behaviour is a significant contributor to HIV infection and re-infection. In South Africa, HIV prevalence is among the highest in the world. The construction industry is particularly affected, but little is known about risky sexual behaviour among construction workers and the factors that influence it. To explore this, data were gathered from 512 site-based workers in the Western Cape. A theoretical model postulating the determinants of risky sexual behaviour was proposed and tested using regression analysis and structural equation modelling. The findings indicated that age, gender, acquaintance with an HIV+ person, drug usage, and level of AIDS-related knowledge were direct determinants of risky sexual behaviour, with higher levels of education, ethnicity, and acquaintance with an HIV+ person each predicting better AIDS-related knowledge. Alcohol consumption and drug usage were positively associated. Recommendations for more targeted workplace interventions are proposed.

This study tested the confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) model of the Resilience at University (RAU) scale and considered the conceptual properties of the scale relative to students transitioning from the adolescent-to-adulthood psychological developmental stage. Survey data were obtained from 808 Australian undergraduate business students. Using the holdout sample (sub-sample B), the factorial structure of the set of 19 items loading onto a 7-factor structure demonstrated very good model fit and all factor loadings were significant. Evidence confirming the internal consistency of the scales was more equivocal. While the CFA confirms the validity of the seven-factor structure, the Cronbach’s alpha indicates issues within four of the seven subscales. It was identified that changes to four of the dimensions would help ensure that the RAU demonstrates both the validity and the reliability required for an effective scale for its intended population. To address the reliability issues, several of the subscales will benefit from additional items to better explicate the concepts concerned and to improve reliability. A key challenge, however, of developing a resilience measure for use with university students is the transitional psychological developmental stage of the undergraduate cohort.

Secondary schools are purported to play a significant role in the resilience enhancement of adolescents; however, there are no measures of resilience designed specifically for use in secondary schools. To address this shortcoming, a resilience at secondary school (RASS) scale was developed and its psychometric properties explored. Five hundred and sixty-two female secondary school students aged from 12 years to 18 years completed the 20-item RASS, which was adapted from the Resilience at University scale. Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling revealed a 19-item, seven-factor structure. Convergent validity of all the subscales was tenable. Internal consistency of two subscales was not ideal, indicative of the need for further research. The RASS scale and subscales represent promising empirical measures of resilience at secondary schools in Australia. With further refinement, the RASS offers educators in secondary schools a practical measure founded on the skills and behaviours considered critical for psychological resilience which can be used to inform resilience-building curriculum activities.