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DOI: 10.1055/a-2055-1738
Der Zusammenhang von gesundheitskritischen Arbeitsbelastungen und somatischen Symptomen bei frühpädagogischen Fachkräften in der Kindertagesbetreuung während der COVID-19-Pandemie
The Relationship of Work Stress and Somatic Symptoms Among Early Childhood Professionals During the COVID-19 PandemicZusammenfassung
Die COVID-19-Pandemie veränderte den Arbeitsalltag von Arbeitnehmenden weltweit. Insbesondere frühpädagogische Fachkräfte in der Kindertagesbetreuung erlebten aufgrund von Mehrbelastung am Arbeitsplatz ein potentiell erhöhtes Erkrankungsrisiko für die individuelle Gesundheit. Ziel dieser Querschnittsstudie war es, aktuelle Prävalenzen von psychosozialem Arbeitsstress in Form von Gratifikationskrisen (Effort-Reward Imbalance, ERI), Verausgabungsbereitschaft (Overcommitment) sowie somatischen Symptomen und deren Assoziation während der COVID-19-Pandemie zu erheben. Frühpädagogische Fachkräfte aus Nordrhein-Westfalen (N=1009) nahmen zwischen Juni 2020 und Mai 2021 an der Fragebogenstudie teil. Zur Beurteilung des Arbeitsstresses wurde der Effort-Reward Imbalance Fragebogen eingesetzt (16 Items umfassende Version) und zur Einschätzung somatischer Symptome der Gesundheitsfragebogen für Patienten Modul „Somatische Symptomschwere“ (PHQ-15). Eine multiple logistische Regression überprüfte die Assoziation zwischen Arbeitsstress und Ge-sundheit. Bei 72,3% der Befragten wurde eine Gratifikationskrise festgestellt. Insgesamt zeigten 25,0% eine hoch ausgeprägte Verausgabungsbereitschaft (Overcommitment). Die Gesamtprävalenz von somatischen Beschwerden auf einem mittleren bis hohen Niveau lag bei 45,2%. Eine Gratifikationskrise und eine hohe Verausgabungsbereitschaft vergrößerten das Chancenverhältnis einer starken Symptompräsenz um den Faktor 4,12 bzw. 5,20. Diese Studie verdeutlicht die häufigen Gratifikationskrisen, die hohe Verausgabungsbereitschaft und die überdurchschnittlich hohe Prävalenz somatischer Beschwerden bei frühpädagogischen Fachkräften während der COVID-19-Pandemie. Angesichts dieser hohen Prävalenzen und deren Zusammenhänge besteht weiterhin starker Handlungs- und Forschungsbedarf, den arbeitsbezogenen Stress bei dieser Berufsgruppe zu reduzieren sowie die Persistenz von sowie den Umgang mit somatischen Symptomen zu untersuchen, um langfristig Präventionsmaßnahmen zu entwickeln.
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world of work. Due to additional occupational health and safety measures early childhood professionals were faced with an increased workload, which may lead to an increased risk for their individual health. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to obtain updated prevalences of psychosocial work stress (effort-reward imbalance, ERI), overcommitment as well as somatic symptoms and their association during the COVID-19 pandemic. Early childhood professionals from a large city in North Rhine-Westphalia (N=1009) participated in the survey between June 2020 and May 2021. The Effort-Reward Imbalance at work questionnaire (16 items version) was used to assess work stress, and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15) was used to assess somatic symptoms. A multiple logistic regression tested the association between work stress and somatic health. In total, 72.3% of the sample showed an effort-reward imbalance, 25.0% showed a high overcommitment. The overall prevalence of somatization at a moderate to high level was 45.2%. Effort-reward imbalance and high overcommitment increased the odds of severe symptom presence by a factor of 4.12 and 5.20, respectively. This study shows the high number of effort-reward imbalances, the high overcommitment and the above-average prevalence of somatic complaints among early childhood professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In view of these high prevalences and their relationships, there is still a strong need for action and research to reduce work-related stress in this occupational group as well as to investigate the persistence of and the management of somatic symptoms in order to develop long-term preventive measures.
Schlüsselwörter
COVID-19-Pandemie - Frühpädagogische Fachkräfte - Gratifikationskrise - Verausgabungsbereitschaft - Somatische SymptomeKey words
COVID-19 pandemic - early childhood professionals - effort-reward imbalance - overcommitment - somatic symptomsPublication History
Received: 04 January 2023
Accepted: 13 March 2023
Article published online:
09 May 2023
© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG
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