School Environment as Predictor of Teacher Sick Leave: Data-Linked Prospective Cohort Study
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School Environment as Predictor of Teacher Sick Leave: Data-Linked Prospective Cohort Study
| Title: | School Environment as Predictor of Teacher Sick Leave: Data-Linked Prospective Cohort Study |
| Author: |
Ervasti, Jenni; Kivimäki, Mika; Pentti, Jaana; Oksanen, Tuula; Puusniekka, Riikka; Pohjonen, Tiina; Vahtera, Jussi; Virtanen, Marianna; Kawachi, Ichiro; Subramanian, S.V. Venkata
Note: Order does not necessarily reflect citation order of authors. |
| Citation: | Ervasti, Jenni, Mika Kivimäki, Ichiro Kawachi, S. V. Subramanian, Jaana Pentti, Tuula Oksanen, Riikka Puusniekka, Tiina Pohjonen, Jussi Vahtera, and Marianna Virtanen. 2012. School environment as predictor of teacher sick leave: Data-linked prospective cohort study. BMC Public Health 12:770. |
| Full Text & Related Files: |
3490775.pdf (208.6Kb; PDF) 
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| Abstract: | 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. |
| Published Version: | doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-770 |
| Other Sources: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3490775/pdf/ |
| Terms of Use: | This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of-use#LAA |
| Citable link to this page: | http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:10587990 |
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