TY - JOUR

T1 - The predictive value of individual and work-related resources for the health and work satisfaction of German school principals

AU - Dadaczynski, Kevin

AU - Paulus, Peter

AU - Horstmann, David

N1 - Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors received funding for the project “Mehr Zeit für gute Schulen” from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2019.

PY - 2020/3/1

Y1 - 2020/3/1

N2 - Objective: This study aimed to investigate individual and work-related resources (decision latitude, self-efficacy and work-related sense of coherence) and their relationship to health and work outcomes (general health, cognitive and emotional irritation, and work satisfaction) among German school principals. Method: In 2016, all teachers and principals in Lower Saxony, Germany, were invited to participate in an online-based cross-sectional study. Data from a sub-set of 1,026 school principals and members of the school leadership team (i.e. vice principals) were analysed using univariate and bivariate analysis and stepwise linear regression. Results: Findings revealed fairly high levels of self-efficacy and decision latitude and low levels of sense of coherence for administrative tasks. With regards to health, more than one quarter of respondents reported a poor general health status, and more than one third reported being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their work. Primary school principals were more often affected by low levels of resources as well as lower health status and work satisfaction. Based on a series of regression analyses, decision latitude and self-efficacy proved to be the strongest predictors of all health and work outcomes. Conclusion: Given that school leaders are of critical importance for their entire school, this professional group should be placed more firmly in the focus of school health education and promotion. There is a particular need for health promotion measures for primary school principals, who have the least resources and the lowest health status.

AB - Objective: This study aimed to investigate individual and work-related resources (decision latitude, self-efficacy and work-related sense of coherence) and their relationship to health and work outcomes (general health, cognitive and emotional irritation, and work satisfaction) among German school principals. Method: In 2016, all teachers and principals in Lower Saxony, Germany, were invited to participate in an online-based cross-sectional study. Data from a sub-set of 1,026 school principals and members of the school leadership team (i.e. vice principals) were analysed using univariate and bivariate analysis and stepwise linear regression. Results: Findings revealed fairly high levels of self-efficacy and decision latitude and low levels of sense of coherence for administrative tasks. With regards to health, more than one quarter of respondents reported a poor general health status, and more than one third reported being dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their work. Primary school principals were more often affected by low levels of resources as well as lower health status and work satisfaction. Based on a series of regression analyses, decision latitude and self-efficacy proved to be the strongest predictors of all health and work outcomes. Conclusion: Given that school leaders are of critical importance for their entire school, this professional group should be placed more firmly in the focus of school health education and promotion. There is a particular need for health promotion measures for primary school principals, who have the least resources and the lowest health status.

KW - Decision latitude

KW - irritation

KW - job satisfaction

KW - school principals

KW - self-efficacy

KW - sense of coherence

KW - Health sciences

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85070316689&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/0017896919867118

DO - 10.1177/0017896919867118

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85070316689

VL - 79

SP - 225

EP - 236

JO - Health Education Journal

JF - Health Education Journal

SN - 0017-8969

IS - 2

ER -