Work Ability and Analysis of Stress-Relevant Coping With Demands of Teachers-A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study in Germany and Ukraine.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify strain factors and compare work ability and stress-relevant coping with demands for German and Ukrainian teachers. Data from 147 German and 291 Ukraine teachers were examined. A professional history questionnaire, the Work Ability Index, and a questionnaire for the analysis of stress-relevant coping with demands (inability to recover subscale) were used. The differences among the age groups in the two countries were evaluated. German teachers reported more demands than Ukrainian teachers did. The Work Ability Index score indicates a moderate level of work ability for both groups of teachers. German teachers are more unable to recover than Ukrainian teachers are ( P < 0.001), and older German teachers are significantly less able to recover than their Ukrainian counterparts are. Health intervention and promotion are necessary, especially for older teachers.