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Health and Work Environment among Female and Male Swedish Elementary School Teachers-A Cross-Sectional Study

Boström, Maria ; Björklund, Christina ; Bergström, Gunnar ; Nybergh, Lotta ; Schäfer Elinder, Liselotte ; Stigmar, Kjerstin LU ; Wåhlin, Charlotte ; Jensen, Irene and Kwak, Lydia (2019) In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17(1).
Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Changes in teachers' work situation in Sweden since the 1990s may have contributed to an increase in common mental disorders (CMDs) and burnout. However, there is a lack of research in this field. The aim was to describe how Swedish elementary school teachers experience their health, organizational and social work environment, and the psychosocial safety climate at the workplace, and especially differences and similarities between female and male teachers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected with the COPSOQ, OLBI, UWES and PSC-12 from 478 elementary teachers, 81.0% of them women, from twenty schools. The response rate was 96.4%. RESULTS: Teachers reported relatively good general health but experienced... (More)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Changes in teachers' work situation in Sweden since the 1990s may have contributed to an increase in common mental disorders (CMDs) and burnout. However, there is a lack of research in this field. The aim was to describe how Swedish elementary school teachers experience their health, organizational and social work environment, and the psychosocial safety climate at the workplace, and especially differences and similarities between female and male teachers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected with the COPSOQ, OLBI, UWES and PSC-12 from 478 elementary teachers, 81.0% of them women, from twenty schools. The response rate was 96.4%. RESULTS: Teachers reported relatively good general health but experienced high stress, high work pace and emotional demands, low influence at work and a poor psychosocial safety climate. These factors were especially prominent among female teachers. Both women and men experienced good development possibilities and high work engagement. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study can help us to develop a more sustainable work environment for female and male teachers. A more sustainable work environment might attract more people to the profession and incentivize existing teachers to remain in the profession.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
common mental disorders, Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, organizational and social work environment, Psychosocial Safety Climate scale, school, stress, teachers
in
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
volume
17
issue
1
article number
227
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85077638598
  • pmid:31905608
ISSN
1660-4601
DOI
10.3390/ijerph17010227
project
ISkol- implementation of mental health guidelines in schools
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
db5da6bc-f3f4-446a-bfce-e4337d7b283f
date added to LUP
2020-01-29 13:07:55
date last changed
2024-04-02 22:52:47
@article{db5da6bc-f3f4-446a-bfce-e4337d7b283f,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Changes in teachers' work situation in Sweden since the 1990s may have contributed to an increase in common mental disorders (CMDs) and burnout. However, there is a lack of research in this field. The aim was to describe how Swedish elementary school teachers experience their health, organizational and social work environment, and the psychosocial safety climate at the workplace, and especially differences and similarities between female and male teachers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected with the COPSOQ, OLBI, UWES and PSC-12 from 478 elementary teachers, 81.0% of them women, from twenty schools. The response rate was 96.4%. RESULTS: Teachers reported relatively good general health but experienced high stress, high work pace and emotional demands, low influence at work and a poor psychosocial safety climate. These factors were especially prominent among female teachers. Both women and men experienced good development possibilities and high work engagement. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study can help us to develop a more sustainable work environment for female and male teachers. A more sustainable work environment might attract more people to the profession and incentivize existing teachers to remain in the profession.</p>}},
  author       = {{Boström, Maria and Björklund, Christina and Bergström, Gunnar and Nybergh, Lotta and Schäfer Elinder, Liselotte and Stigmar, Kjerstin and Wåhlin, Charlotte and Jensen, Irene and Kwak, Lydia}},
  issn         = {{1660-4601}},
  keywords     = {{common mental disorders; Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire; organizational and social work environment; Psychosocial Safety Climate scale; school; stress; teachers}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}},
  title        = {{Health and Work Environment among Female and Male Swedish Elementary School Teachers-A Cross-Sectional Study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010227}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/ijerph17010227}},
  volume       = {{17}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}