Teachers' Health: How General, Mental and Functional Health Indicators Compare to Other Employees? A Large French Population-Based Study

Teachers' health is a key factor of any successful education system, but available data are conflicting. To evaluate to what extent teachers' health could be at risk, we used pre-pandemic data from the CONSTANCES population-based French cohort (inclusion phase: 2012-2019) and compared teachers (n = 12,839) included in the cohort with a random subsample selected among all other employees (n = 32,837) on four self-reported health indicators: perceived general health, depressive symptoms (CES-D scale), functional limitations in the last six months, and persistent neck/back troubles (Nordic questionnaire). We further restricted our comparison group to the State employees (n = 3583), who share more occupational similarities with teachers. Lastly, we focused on teachers and evaluated how their health status might differ across teaching levels (primary, secondary, and higher education). As compared to non-teacher employees, and even after adjusting for important demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and occupational confounders, teachers were less likely to report bad perceived health and depressive symptoms but were more likely to present functional limitations. Trends were similar in the analyses restricted to State employees. Within the teaching population, secondary school teachers were more likely to report depressive symptoms but less frequently declared persistent neck/back troubles than primary school teachers. Our descriptive cross-sectional study based on a probability sampling procedure (secondary use of CONSTANCES inclusion data) did not support the idea that teachers' health in France was particularly at risk in the pre-pandemic period. Both cross-cultural and longitudinal studies are needed to further gain information on the topic of teachers' health around the world and to monitor its evolution over time, particularly during crises impacting the education system such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Predictors of health-related absenteeism, presenteeism and sick leave among brazilian elementary school teachers: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The health risks that usually affect teachers are already known; however, the predictors of health related absenteeism, presenteeism, and sick leave have not yet been fully described.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the predictors of health-related absenteeism, presenteeism, and sick leave among elementary school teachers.

METHODS

This study involved a probabilistic sample of 519 Brazilian elementary school teachers. The outcomes were days of health-related absenteeism, presenteeism, and sick leave in the previous 12 months. Work-place and individual factors were the independent variables analyzed.

RESULTS

Inadequate infrastructure of schools, disability, and medical consultations were positively associated with all outcomes. Teachers who reported having a chronic disease, common mental disorders, and voice disorders presented higher absenteeism and presenteeism days. Musculoskeletal pain and low job support were associated with higher presenteeism and sick leave days. Teachers who performed strength and flexibility activities presented less presenteeism, those who reported physical violence at school were more frequently absent, and teachers with depersonalization presented a higher likelihood of sick leave.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevention of health-related absenteeism, presenteeism, and sick leave among elementary teachers should ensure adequate work conditions and prevention and monitoring of health risks.

Prevalence and Risk-Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Provincial High School Teachers in the Philippines

Pain in the muscles and tendons is one of the most common complaints among teachers. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and their risk factors among public school teachers in the Philippines. It involved 200 public school teachers in the secondary level from Calbayog City division, Samar Province, Philippines, and used an English version of the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency's questionnaire on MSDs for an analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. The researchers employed frequency and percentages computations to determine the prevalence of MSDs in the respondents. Chi-square test and logistic regression were utilized to compute the correlation among socio-demographic profiles, teaching variables and MSDs. The reported overall prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was 74.5%, with legs (56.5%) and lower back (56%) having the highest prevalence. Significant differences in the prevalence of MSDs were found between age-groups (P = 0.032) and salary-groups (P = 0.045). Musculoskeletal disorders were prevalent among secondary public school teachers in the Philippines, suggesting that school administrators, curriculum and policy makers, and other stakeholders should improve the working conditions of teachers.

Analysis of Misbehaviors and Satisfaction With School in Secondary Education According to Student Gender and Teaching Competence

Effective classroom management is a critical teaching skill and a key concern for educators. Disruptive behaviors disturb effective classroom management and can influence school satisfaction if the teacher does not have the competencies to control them. Two objectives were set in this work: to understand the differences that exist in school satisfaction, disruptive behaviors, and teaching competencies according to the gender of the students; and to analyze school satisfaction and disruptive student behaviors based on perceived teaching competence. A non-probabilistic and convenience sample selection process was employed, based on the subjects that we were able to access. 758 students participated (male = 45.8%) from seven public secondary schools in the Murcia Region (Spain). The age range was between 13 and 18 years (M = 15.22; DT = 1.27). A questionnaire composed of the following scales was used: Competencies Evaluation Scale for Teachers in Physical Education, School Satisfaction and Disruptive Behaviors in Physical Education. Mixed Linear Models performed with the SPSS v.23 was used for statistical analyses. The results revealed statistically significant differences based on gender and physical education teaching competencies. In conclusion, the study highlights that physical education teacher skills influence disruptive behaviors in the classroom, and that this is also related to school satisfaction. Furthermore, it highlights that boys showed higher levels of negative behaviors than girls.

Effects of Motivation, Basic Psychological Needs, and Teaching Competence on Disruptive Behaviours in Secondary School Physical Education Students

Currently, disruptive and aggressive behaviours of a physical and verbal nature are a reality among adolescent students and a concern in the educational context. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to analyse the effects of perceived teaching competence, motivation and basic psychological needs on disruptive behaviours in secondary school PE students. The sample was composed of 758 adolescent students from seven public secondary schools. The following instruments adapted to physical education were used: The Disruptive Behaviours Questionnaire, The Evaluation of Teaching Competencies Scale, The Sport Motivation Scale, and The Basic Psychological Needs Scale. Multilevel regression models with the MIXED procedure were performed for data analysis. The results show that misbehaviour is more likely among male students and that disruptive behaviours decrease when a teacher is perceived as competent. Students with greater self-determined motivation are more likely to exhibit fewer behaviours related to low engagement and irresponsibility while amotivation increases the different disruptive behaviours in the classroom. In conclusion, it is proposed that educators work in line with the students’ needs by responding to their interests and that this will increase self-determined motivation.

[Teacher sick leave: Prevalence, duration, reasons and covariates]

BACKGROUND

Absences from work have considerable social and economic impact. In the education sector, the phenomenon is particularly worrying since teacher sick leave has an impact on the overall performance of the education system. Yet, available data are scarce.

METHODS

In April-June 2013, 2653 teachers responded to a population-based postal survey on their quality of life (enquête Qualité de vie des enseignants, MGEN Foundation/Ministry of education, response rate 53 %). Besides questions on work environment and health, teachers were asked to describe their eventual sick leave(s) since the beginning of the school year: duration, type and medical reasons. Self-reported information was reinforced by administrative data from ministerial databases and weighted to be extrapolated to all French teachers. Tobit models adjusted for individual factors of a private nature were used to investigate different occupational risk factors of teacher sick leave, taking into account both the estimated effect on the probability of sick leave and the length of it.

RESULTS

More than one in three teachers (36 %) reported having had at least one day of sick leave since the beginning of the school year. Respiratory/ENT diseases were the leading reason for sick leave (37 %). However, and because sick leave duration depended on the underlying health problem, such diseases came in third place among justifications of sick leave days (14 %), far behind musculoskeletal problems (27 %) and neurological and psychological disorders (25 %). Tobit models suggested that some occupational factors significantly associated with the risk of sick leave may represent promising preventive targets, including high psychological demand, workplace violence and unfavorable socio-environmental context.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides objective evidence about the issue of sick leave among French teachers, highlighting the usefulness of implementing actions to minimize its weight. To this end, the study findings point-out the importance of considering not only the probability of sick leave, but also its duration.

Impact of school staff health on work productivity in secondary schools in Massachusetts

BACKGROUND

Healthy, productive employees are an integral part of school health programs. There have been few assessments of work productivity among secondary school staff. This study describes the frequency of 3 common health risk factors--obesity, depressive symptoms, and smoking--and their impact on work productivity in secondary school employees.

METHODS

Employees of secondary schools in Massachusetts (N = 630) participated in a longitudinal weight gain prevention intervention study. Assessment completed at baseline, 1-year and 2-year follow-up included survey assessments of health risk factors as well as measurements for height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). The survey also included a depression inventory and Work Limitations Questionnaire. Data analysis included multivariate mixed effect models to identify productivity differences in relation to BMI, depressive symptoms, and smoking in this population stratified by position type (teacher and other school staff).

RESULTS

The sample included 361 teachers and 269 other school staff. Obesity, depressive symptoms, and smoking were significantly associated with work productivity, including workdays missed because of health concerns (absenteeism) and decreases in on-the-job productivity because of health concerns (presenteeism).

CONCLUSIONS

Three common health conditions, namely obesity, depressive symptoms, and smoking, adversely affect the productivity of high school employees.

School environment as predictor of teacher sick leave: data-linked prospective cohort study

Background

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and psychosocial problems are common in schools worldwide, yet longitudinal research on the issue is scarce. We examined whether the level of or a change in pupil-reported school environment (IAQ, school satisfaction, and bullying) predicts recorded sick leaves among teachers.

Methods

Changes in the school environment were assessed using pupil surveys at two time points (2001/02 and 2004/05) in 92 secondary schools in Finland. Variables indicating change were based on median values at baseline. We linked these data to individual-level records of teachers’ (n = 1678) sick leaves in 2001–02 and in 2004–05.

Results

Multilevel multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for baseline sick leave and covariates showed a decreased risk for short-term (one to three days) sick leaves among teachers working in schools with good perceived IAQ at both times (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5-0.9), and for those with a positive change in IAQ (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9), compared to teachers in schools where IAQ was constantly poor. Negative changes in pupil school satisfaction (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-2.8) and bullying (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.0-2.3) increased the risk for short-term leaves among teachers when compared to teachers in schools where the level of satisfaction and bullying had remained stable. School environment factors were not associated with long-term sick leaves.

Conclusions

Good and improved IAQ are associated with decreased teacher absenteeism. While pupil-related psychosocial factors also contribute to sick leaves, no effect modification or mediation of psychosocial factors on the association between IAQ and sick leave was observed.