Health behaviour, health status and occupational prospects of apprentice nurses and kindergarten teachers in Germany: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundApprentices in human service professions are exposed to emotional and physical stresses in their workplaces. Moreover, they are in the vulnerable phase of becoming an adult. Their lifestyle and health therefore seem to be particularly unstable. This study aims to evaluate and compare the health behaviour, health status and occupational prospects of apprentices in nursing and early childhood education and to identify factors associated with their physical and mental health.MethodsA cross-sectional study based on self-administered questionnaires was carried out at eight vocational schools in Hamburg, Germany. Four hundred two apprentice geriatric nurses, hospital nurses and kindergarten teachers/assistants participated (response rate: 99 %). Apprentices were compared in terms of their physical activity, dietary patterns, cigarette and alcohol consumption, body mass index, self-rated health, previous diseases, job satisfaction and occupational prospects. Factors associated with the participants’ musculoskeletal or mental disorders were identified using logistic regression.ResultsAround 33 % of apprentice geriatric nurses and kindergarten teachers/assistants were overweight or obese. Fifty-five percent of geriatric nurses were smokers. Job satisfaction was lowest among hospital nurses. More than one third of the apprentices suffered from musculoskeletal or mental disorders. The ages of 23–26 years and mental disorder were associated with musculoskeletal disorders (OR 3.1, 95 % CI 1.4–6.7; OR 1.8, 95 % CI 1.1–3.1). Being an apprentice in early childhood education was associated with an increased chance of mental disorder (OR 2.9, 95 % CI 1.4–6.0). Additionally, musculoskeletal disorders, self-efficacy and irritation were associated with mental disorder.ConclusionsDifferences between the occupational groups indicate the need for specific work-related health promotion for apprentices at an early stage in their careers. Future projects should focus on the implementation and evaluation of these measures.

The effect of social determinants on oral health knowledge and patient’s bill of rights

“…In the current study, a significant correlation was observed between the education level and health knowledge, which is in line with the studies conducted by Yaghobian et al and Wirth et al, which revealed that those who have a higher level of education, had broader knowledge about health as well. 18,19 Regarding the correlation between marital status, health knowledge and awareness of patient's rights, married people had higher levels of such knowledge compared to single people, which is in line with research conducted by Yuan et al 20 One possible explanation of this is that couples share their knowledge and spend time together discussing health-related issues.…”

Physical Activity Promotion for Apprentices in Nursing Care and Automotive Mechatronics–Competence Counts More than Volume

“…For example, apprentices in the craft and industry sector displayed higher activity levels than those in service and trade sectors and those with a predominantly sedentary job [29]. Importantly, nursing apprentices in hospitals tend to be more engaged with PA than apprentices in early childhood education [30].…”

Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) among Kindergarten Teachers in Chongqing, China: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Previous findings show that overweight people were more likely to have health problems [ 24 ]. The occupational social environmental factors, such as usual work in bent and twisted postures, less physical activities, high screen time activities, skipping breakfast, and continuous exposure to a high level of noise, are associated with unhealthy behaviors [ 17 , 35 , 36 ]. In our study, overweight teachers had the highest nutrition knowledge among the three grades of BMI, which suggests that these participants had certain but insufficient knowledge of nutrition to change their unhealthy lifestyles.…”