ABSTRACT

Early care and education (ECE) teachers are constantly moving throughout their day with varying physical demands akin to those of athletes. Teachers are continuously bending, stooping, and squatting to lift and carry children as well as sitting on the floor or in child-sized furniture—all activities that require substantial fitness. This said, many ECE teachers have health issues including obesity, diminished aerobic capacity, and perceived stress, which can adversely influence their physical well-being and place them at risk for work-related musculoskeletal issues. This study of ECE teachers, which is part of a larger study of overall teacher wellness, involved direct, on-site measures of ECE teachers’ cardiorespiratory capacity and in-classroom ergonomic assessment of activities. These measures were then triangulated with self-reported health information to better understand the current status of various aspects of teachers’ physical well-being and correlational analysis was then used to identify potential risk and/or protective factors. Research Findings: ECE teachers are constantly moving throughout their day with varying physical demands and stressors that, combined with unfavorable working conditions, contribute to developing musculoskeletal pain and poor cardiorespiratory fitness. Practice or Policy: Many of the physical wellness issues identified in this study can be mitigated through modest changes that could be incorporated into teachers’ daily work behaviors and activities, such as education and programs to enhance the physical wellness of these “educational athletes” and better-prepare them for the “sport of teaching.”

摘要

早期保育和教育 (ECE) 教师每天都在不断地移动，他们的身体需求与运动员的不同。教师们不断地弯腰、弯腰和蹲着抱起孩子，坐在地板上或坐在儿童尺寸的家具上——所有这些活动都需要大量的体能。也就是说，许多 ECE 教师存在肥胖、有氧能力下降和压力过大等健康问题，这会对他们的身体健康产生不利影响，并使他们面临与工作相关的肌肉骨骼问题的风险。这项针对 ECE 教师的研究是一项更大规模的整体教师健康研究的一部分，涉及对 ECE 教师心肺能力的直接现场测量和课堂活动的人体工程学评估。研究结果：ECE 教师在一天中不断变化的身体需求和压力源，再加上不利的工作条件，导致肌肉骨骼疼痛和心肺健康状况不佳。实践或政策：本研究中确定的许多身体健康问题可以通过适度的改变来缓解，这些改变可以纳入教师的日常工作行为和活动，例如提高这些“教育运动员”的身体健康的教育和计划让他们更好地为“教学运动”做好准备。