Selected Determinants of Health Behaviors of Primary School Teachers in the Kalisz County in Poland

Abstract

Objectives The main goal of this paper is to assess the health behaviors of primary school teachers from the Kalisz county in the context of selected sociodemographic determinants. Material and methods The study was carried out between September and December 2021 among 500 primary school teachers in the Kalisz county in Poland. The selection of schools for the study was purposive sampling; 22 schools were randomly selected from primary schools in the Kalisz county. Ultimately, 315 correctly completed questionnaires were qualified for the study. The study employed the Authors’ Questionnaire Survey and the following standardized questionnaire: Inventory of Health-Related Behavior (IHB). Calculations were performed using STATISTICA 13.3 PL (TIBCO Software). Results The intensity of health behaviors was described as ‘average’ by 61.90% of the respondents. Based on the IHB questionnaire, it was found that the ‘preventive behaviors’ of the respondents had the strongest impact on their behavior and health. In the analyzed group, incorrect health behaviors (low physical activity or sedentary forms of leisure) prevailed. Conclusions The study discovered the prevalence of anti-health behaviors, which were dependent on sociodemographic factors. It is necessary to introduce corrective actions aimed at raising teachers’ health awareness and eliminating anti-health behaviors among this professional group.