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Matsuda Y, Hamada S. Impacts of demographic factors and the COVID-19 pandemic on job stress in Japanese childcare workers. Work 2024:WOR230658. [PMID: 38848156 DOI: 10.3233/wor-230658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Japan has a shortage of childcare personnel, and the high levels of stress causing turnover in childcare workers must be urgently resolved. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the characteristics and influencing factors of job stress in Japanese childcare workers. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the job stress of childcare workers and explore the influence of demographic factors and the COVID-19 pandemic on such stress. METHODS The data were collected through an Internet survey from 2,472 respondents. A 23-item version of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to measure occupational stress in childcare workers. The instrument is recommended in the stress-check program implemented as a mental health measure in workplaces in Japan. RESULTS The percentage of childcare workers with high stress exceeded that of general workers. Multiple regression analyses showed that the only factor affecting all job stressors and social support was the fear of contracting COVID-19. Job stressors and the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant large effect on stress responses. Additionally, being married and having children moderated childcare workers' stress. CONCLUSIONS This study provided basic data regarding job stress in Japanese childcare workers and compared them with those of other professionals. In the future, it will be necessary to clarify how stress is related to turnover intention and turnover in Japanese childcare workers to promote their career continuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Matsuda
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Shoko Hamada
- Faculty of Contemporary Culture, Hijiyama University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Brophy-Herb HE, Brincks A, Cook JL, Stacks A, Vallotton CD, Frosch C, Carson R, Wheeler R, Perkins HA, Jennings PA. Stress Intensity and Exhaustion Among Infant and Toddler Teachers: Descriptive Analysis and Associations with Sources of Stress and Coping Strategy Use. EARLY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022; 34:1545-1564. [PMID: 37849911 PMCID: PMC10578649 DOI: 10.1080/10409289.2022.2151399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
This study described infant/toddler teachers' (N = 106) perceptions of stress intensity and exhaustion (emotional, physical, mental) intensity. We examined the associations between stress and exhaustion and teachers' reports of stress sources and coping strategy use. Using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), teachers from Early Head Start (EHS), EHS childcare-partnerships, or independent childcare programs (midwestern U.S.) completed twice-weekly reports of: stress and exhaustion intensity; stress sources (workload, children's behaviors, personal life); and, coping strategies (support from colleagues, distraction, mindfulness techniques, reframing). Research Findings Stress and exhaustion reports were similar to studies of preschool teachers. Workload and personal life stressors were associated with stress and all exhaustion types. Teachers used fewer than two different coping strategies/per reporting day. Only reframing was negatively associated with stress and emotional exhaustion. Teachers reported greater stress at end-of-week than beginning-of-week. Older teachers reported greater stress and emotional exhaustion. Although one-third of teachers reported ≥4 ACEs, early adversity was not associated with stress or exhaustion. Practice or Policy We discuss the results relative to the sparse literature on infant/toddler teachers' well-being and suggest areas for professional development supports while underscoring the need for EHS federal policy makers and program administrators to consider how to reduce/streamline workload.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly E Brophy-Herb
- Michigan State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
| | - Ahnalee Brincks
- Michigan State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
| | - Jody L Cook
- Michigan State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
| | - Ann Stacks
- Wayne State University, Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute
| | - Claire D Vallotton
- Michigan State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
| | - Cynthia Frosch
- Auburn University. Department of Human Development and Family Studies
| | | | | | - Haiden A Perkins
- Michigan State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
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Ramsden R, Han CS, Mount D, Loebach J, Cox A, Herrington S, Bundy A, Fyfe-Johnson A, Sandseter EBH, Stone M, Tremblay MS, Brussoni M. PROmoting Early Childhood Outside – an Intervention to Increase Outdoor Play in Early Childhood Education Centres: Study Protocol for a Pilot Wait-list Control Cluster Randomized Trial (Preprint). JMIR Res Protoc 2022; 11:e38365. [PMID: 35819829 PMCID: PMC9328786 DOI: 10.2196/38365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Ramsden
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christina S Han
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Dawn Mount
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Janet Loebach
- Department of Design + Environmental Analysis, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Adina Cox
- Department of Landscape Architecture, Iowa State University College of Design, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Susan Herrington
- School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Anita Bundy
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University College of Health and Human Sciences, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Amber Fyfe-Johnson
- Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH), Elson S Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter
- Department of Physical Activity and Health, Queen Maud University College of Early Childhood Education, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Michelle Stone
- School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Healthy Populations Institute, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Mark S Tremblay
- Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Mariana Brussoni
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Human Early Learning Partnership, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- British Columbia Injury Research & Prevention Unit, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Early Care and Education Workers' Experience and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19052670. [PMID: 35270362 PMCID: PMC8910108 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19052670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Early care and education (ECE) workers experience many job-related stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, ECE programs either closed or remained open while workers faced additional demands. We deployed a survey of the center-based ECE workforce in Washington State (United States) one year into the COVID-19 pandemic to assess impacts and workers' perceived stress levels. We describe the prevalence of reported impacts, including workplace closures; job changes; COVID-19 transmission; risk factors for severe COVID-19; the use of social distancing practices; satisfaction with workplace responses; perceptions of worker roles, respect, and influence; and food and financial insecurity. Themes from open-ended responses illustrate how workers' jobs changed and the stressors that workers experienced as a result. Fifty-seven percent of ECE workers reported moderate or high levels of stress. In a regression model assessing unique contributions to stress, work changes that negatively impacted home life contributed most to stress. Feeling respected for one's work and feeling positive about one's role as an "essential worker" contributed to lower levels of stress. Experiencing financial insecurity, caring for school-aged children or children of multiple ages, being younger, and being born in the United States also contributed to higher stress. Findings can inform policies designed to support the workforce.
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The Mediating Effect of Childcare Teachers' Resilience on the Relationship between Social Support in the Workplace and Their Self-Care. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17228513. [PMID: 33212910 PMCID: PMC7698456 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between social support in the workplace for childcare teachers, resilience, and self-care. This study explores the inner mechanism that helps to strengthen self-care of childcare teachers, which enables teachers to provide quality care to children and promote their own wellbeing. (2) Methods: The survey was conducted from September to October 2018 for childcare teachers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province using convenience sampling. Out of 550 questionnaires, 491 were returned, with 466 used for the analysis, excluding those with incomplete responses. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis. (3) Results: There were significant correlations between all variables. The mediation analysis showed a complete mediation of resilience. (4) Conclusion: Childcare teachers first have to take good care of themselves in order to perform well as a childcare professional. Educational materials and counseling programs tailored for childcare teachers need to be developed for better self-care and building greater resilience. Materials for directors of daycare centers, as well as teachers stressing the importance of social support for each other, will help childcare teachers’ effective functioning in their professional and personal life. Prevention and intervention programs for self-care will eventually help lower the costs of healthcare in society.
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The role of teachers' depressive symptoms in classroom quality and child developmental outcomes in Early Head Start programs. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Frosch CA, Mitchell YT, Hardgraves L, Funk S. Stress and coping among early childhood intervention professionals receiving reflective supervision: A qualitative analysis. Infant Ment Health J 2019; 40:443-458. [PMID: 31090956 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C) is an important component of infant mental health training and practice. Given high levels of job stress reported by a variety of early childhood professionals, the present study offers a qualitative examination of early childhood intervention professionals' perceptions of stress and coping before and after receiving regular RS/C. Thirty-one professionals received 9 months of RS/C and completed semistructured interview questionnaires at the pre-/postassessments. Questionnaires focused on job-related experiences, including what participants found stressful and how they coped with job-related stress. Inductive analysis techniques were used to identify themes that arose from the data. Relationships between themes were discovered through axial coding. Three key themes of individual, relational, and organizational stress were identified across the pre-/postassessments. Similar themes were evident in reports of coping. Following 9 months of RS/C, analysis revealed greater detail and reflection among the majority of participants. These results contribute to the literature through identification of multiple levels of stress and coping as well as areas of continuity and change among participants receiving RS/C. Future research should consider how professionals' reports of stress and coping relate to reported self-efficacy and observed competence with young children and families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia A Frosch
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
| | - Yolanda T Mitchell
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
| | - Lauren Hardgraves
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
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Garner PW, Parker TS, Prigmore SB. Caregivers' emotional competence and behavioral responsiveness as correlates of early childcare workers' relationships with children in their care. Infant Ment Health J 2019; 40:496-512. [PMID: 31090951 DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In the current study, we examined associations among early childcare workers' emotional competence, observed responsiveness, comfort with socioemotional teaching practices, and the quality of their relationships with children in their care. The participants were 100 early childcare workers (72 center-based Early Head Start teachers and 28 family childcare providers). Results showed that caregivers' emotion regulation ability was positively associated with caregiver-child relational closeness. Understanding and regulation of emotion were both positively associated with childcare workers' comfort with socioemotional teaching practices. Their observed responsiveness was positively related to relational closeness and negatively related to relational conflict. Findings are consistent with aspects of the prosocial classroom model, which asserts that educators high in emotional and social competence tend to adopt childcare practices that result in supportive relationships with children. Results provide insight into whether childcare workers' responsiveness to young children and their perceived socioemotional teaching practices provide a pathway between emotional competence and the quality of caregiver-child relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela W Garner
- School of Integrative Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
| | - Tameka S Parker
- School of Integrative Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
| | - Sarah B Prigmore
- School of Integrative Studies, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia
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Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this project was to implement an evidence-based, mindfulness therapeutic intervention, to help reduce compassion fatigue and to improve faculty attrition rates in an urban school setting. METHOD Implementation of the mindfulness intervention included an educational didactic workshop, basic exercises in mindfulness, a take-home manual, and the development of a mindfulness web portal to promote sustainability of the project. Outcomes were measured using Stamm's Professional Quality of Life Scale V (ProQOL-V Scale), in addition to a descriptive analysis of demographics and a postprogram satisfaction survey. FINDINGS Scores obtained from the ProQOL-V Scale confirmed the presence of compassion fatigue. Posttesting showed program satisfaction with a high interest in implementing mindfulness activities. Self-repor ted improvements were noted in mood/emotion following the workshop, and attrition rate decreased by 10%. CONCLUSION It appears that mindfulness training is a feasible intervention to implement with individuals experiencing the effects of stress and compassion fatigue. More research is needed to extend these preliminary findings into the realm of nursing both clinically and academically.
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Affiliation(s)
- MaryKay Maley
- Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Doan J, Awosoga O, Provost T, Blinch J, Hudson J. Perceived affordances and postures for lifting in child care. THEORETICAL ISSUES IN ERGONOMICS SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/1463922x.2016.1214986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jon Doan
- Engineering & Human Performance Lab, Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Olu Awosoga
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Trishell Provost
- Engineering & Human Performance Lab, Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Jarrod Blinch
- Engineering & Human Performance Lab, Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Jessica Hudson
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
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