Relation between working status and health-related quality of life among health educators in junior high schools

Objective: This study aims to develop a Questionnaire on Working Status and Health Condition of Health Educators in Junior High Schools based on the Job Demand-Control-Social support model. A secondary objective is to understand the relation between working status and health. Method: A total of 765 health educators, from 65 health promoting schools appointed by the Taiwan Ministry of Education in 2005, participated (response rate of 71%). Results: Respondents rated job control (MEAN score=3.70, SD=0.37) as the highest item of work status and job demand (MEAN=2.76, SD=0.51) as the lowest. The overall perception of health-related quality of life was rated as "partially satisfied". Job demand was negatively associated with health-related quality of life (r=-.326, p<0.01), while job control and social support were positively associated with health-related quality of life (r=.248, p<0.01). Job demand, job control, and job support were statistically significant correlates of health-related quality of life and accounted for 15.2% (p<0.05) of variance. Conclusion: Promoting the health-related quality of life of health educators in junior high schools may be achieved by decreasing the perception of job demands, strengthening social support between colleagues, distributing suitable work loads, and providing skills for time management. Additional contributors may include providing on-job training and new information based on the needs of educators, arousing the awareness of multiple work tasks, and enabling educators to pay more attention to their own health.