Educators' working conditions in a day care centre on ownership of a non-profit organization

Background: Working conditions of nursery school teachers have not been scrutinized thoroughly in scientific research. Only a few studies have so far examined work-load and strain in this profession. Preferably, subjective perceptions should be corroborated by data that can be quantified more objectively and accurately. The aim of the present observational field study was to evaluate pedagogical staffs' workflow. Methods: In 2009 eleven educators in a day care centre were observed throughout three complete workdays. A total of 250 working hours were recorded. Results: An educators' workday lasted on average 07:46:59 h (SD = 01:01:10 h).Within this time span, an average of 02:20:46 h (30.14%, SD = 00:28:07 h) were spent on caring, 01:44:18 h on playing (22.33%, SD = 00:54:12 h), 00:49:37 h on educational work (10.62%, SD = 00:40:09), and only 00:05:38 h on individual child contact (1.21%, SD = 00:04:58 h). Conclusion: For the first time, educators' workflow in day care centres was studied in real time. Some of the educators' self-reported problems were corroborated. The results of this study form a basis upon which further investigations can be built and measures can be developed for an overall improvement of child care

Individual and contextual covariates of burnout: a cross-sectional nationwide study of French teachers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Limited information on the covariates of burnout syndrome in French teachers is available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative contributions of individual and contextual factors on the three burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The source data come from an epidemiological postal survey on physical and mental health conducted in 2005 among 20,099 education workers (in activity or retired) selected at random from the health plan records of the national education system. The response rate was 52.4%. Teachers in activity currently giving classes to students who participated in the survey (n = 3,940) were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire including the Maslach Burnout Inventory. 2,558 teachers provided complete data (64.9%). Variables associated with high emotional exhaustion (highest quartile of score), high depersonalization (highest quartile), and reduced personal accomplishment (lowest quartile) were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression. Studied variables referred to demographic characteristics, socio-professional environment, job dissatisfaction, experienced difficulties at work, and teaching motivations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Different variables were associated with each burnout dimension. Female teachers were more susceptible to high emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment, whereas male teachers were more susceptible to high depersonalization. Elementary school teachers were more susceptible to high emotional exhaustion, but less susceptible to high depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment than their higher school level counterparts. Experienced difficulties with pupils were associated with all three dimensions. A socio-economically underprivileged school neighbourhood was also related to high emotional exhaustion and high depersonalization.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Programs to enhance teaching environment might be an interesting approach to try to prevent burnout. It would be useful to take the different dimensions into account in planning the intervention.</p

Identifying healthy individuals with Alzheimer’s disease neuroimaging phenotypes in the UK Biobank

Background: Identifying prediagnostic neurodegenerative disease is a critical issue in neurodegenerative disease research, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in particular, to identify populations suitable for preventive and early disease-modifying trials. Evidence from genetic and other studies suggests the neurodegeneration of Alzheimer’s disease measured by brain atrophy starts many years before diagnosis, but it is unclear whether these changes can be used to reliably detect prediagnostic sporadic disease. Methods: We trained a Bayesian machine learning neural network model to generate a neuroimaging phenotype and AD score representing the probability of AD using structural MRI data in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) Cohort (cut-off 0.5, AUC 0.92, PPV 0.90, NPV 0.93). We go on to validate the model in an independent real-world dataset of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Centre (AUC 0.74, PPV 0.65, NPV 0.80) and demonstrate the correlation of the AD-score with cognitive scores in those with an AD-score above 0.5. We then apply the model to a healthy population in the UK Biobank study to identify a cohort at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Results: We show that the cohort with a neuroimaging Alzheimer’s phenotype has a cognitive profile in keeping with Alzheimer’s disease, with strong evidence for poorer fluid intelligence, and some evidence of poorer numeric memory, reaction time, working memory, and prospective memory. We found some evidence in the AD-score positive cohort for modifiable risk factors of hypertension and smoking. Conclusions: This approach demonstrates the feasibility of using AI methods to identify a potentially prediagnostic population at high risk for developing sporadic Alzheimer’s disease

Prazer e dor na docência: revisão bibliográfica sobre a Síndrome de Burnout

Os transtornos mentais, atualmente, são os principais responsáveis pelo afastamento do trabalho por longos períodos de tempo. São eles que conferem riscos para a manutenção da saúde mental, através do comportamento e da emoção. Burnout é o resultado ao estresse crônico, incrementado na interação com outras pessoas. Esta pesquisa objetiva apresentar algumas reflexões acerca dos principais fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento da Síndrome de Burnout entre os docentes, a fim de compreendê-los dentro de um processo de desgaste físico-emocional em decorrência do trabalho. Para tanto, realizou-se uma revisão bibliográfica, de natureza qualitativa, na base de dados da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS/BIREME), de artigos sobre a temática em questão. Os resultados deste estudo demonstram a carência de pesquisas nessa área. É necessário aprofundar o conhecimento sobre a manifestação do estresse ocupacional entre os docentes, a fim de se compreender e elucidar alguns problemas enfrentados por essa atividade, como a insatisfação profissional, o baixo rendimento no trabalho, o absenteísmo e algumas doenças ocupacionais, dentre elas o Burnout.Today, the mental disorders are mainly responsible ones for the absence from work for long periods of time. They are who confer risks for the maintenance of the mental health, through the behavior and of the emotion. Burnout is a reply of one stress chronic, caused by the interaction with other people. This research aims to present some reflections on the main risk factors for the development of Syndrome of Burnout between teachers, in order to understand them within a physical and emotional wear as a result of the work. For such, a bibliographic search, of qualitative nature, was made in the Virtual Health Library (BVS/BIREME), articles on the topic in question. The results of this study demonstrate the lack of research in this area. It is necessaryto increase knowledge about the manifestation occupational stress between teachers, in order to understand and elucidate some problems faced by this activity, such as dissatisfaction, low work performance, absenteeism and some occupational diseases, among them Burnout

Fabriksteuerung in der Automobilindustrie/Production control in the automotive industry - IT project phases of a comprehensive report system

Das Aufgabenfeld der Fabrikplanung und -steuerung verändert sich im Laufe der Zeit aufgrund ständig neuer Herausforderungen. Der Einsatz betrieblicher Informationssysteme für den Fabrikbetrieb hilft den Unternehmen, die Fabriksteuerung effizient und effektiv zu erfüllen. Diskutiert wird der Lebenszyklus eines Berichtssystems in der Automobilindustrie unter Berücksichtigung der Potentialfaktoren Mensch, Technik sowie Organisation. &amp;nbsp; The tasks of factory planning and production control have changed over time in the face of continual new challenges. Using company information systems for the operation of factories helps enterprises to meet the requirements of production control in an efficient and effective manner. This article discusses the lifecycle of a report system in the automotive industry with regard to human resources, technology and organization as potential factors of production.</p