Sick Kita? Educators are more likely to be ill than the average

TK Study: Kita-educators above average often ill
Educators in kindergartens in Germany are ill above average often. The most common reasons for her sick leave were mental disorders and diseases of the respiratory system.

Educators are ill above average often
Only recently, the DAK Health reported that employees report more often ill. In some jobs, the risks of becoming ill are obviously greater than in others. For example, metal occupations are among the ones with the highest sick leave. Above average often sick are also educators in kindergartens. This informed the Techniker health insurance (TK) in a press release. The health insurance fund had evaluated the illness data of nearly 100,000 insurgents insured with her in 2014. These data come from the health report 2015, for which the sick leave of the 4.4 million persons insured with the TK were evaluated.

High sickness with educators. Image: Oksana Kuzmina - fotolia

Mental disorders and respiratory diseases
The reason for their survey was the strike wave in Germany. According to this, so much went on strike in the first half of the current year - postman, platoon leader, educator - how long ago. For the latter, there is no end in sight: If the renewed collective bargaining that has just begun fail, it can lead to further strikes from October. In its evaluation, TK came to the conclusion that this occupational group was on sick leave four days more than the national average last year. It is said that the 18.9 missing days per capita resulted mainly from mental disorders (4.1 days) and diseases of the respiratory system (3.3 days).

"Parenting can be stressful"
In the statement, TK prevention expert Gudrun Ahlers said: "It is not surprising that educators are more affected than average by these conditions. For example, mental disorders, which include overburdening: A high noise level, increasingly complex task areas and finally also arguments with the parents - parenting can be stressful. "In other professional groups, the number of lost work because of depression, burnout or similar problems since years. It has recently been reported that there have been twice as many sickness mental illness records since 2003.

High sick leave must be compensated
As with many other occupational groups, the educators fit for work have to compensate for high sick leave rates. "For them, that often means even larger groups and thus even more stress and strain on health - a vicious circle," says Ahlers. And also that people in this job often suffer from respiratory diseases, should surprise no one. "Day care centers are virtually reservoirs for viruses and bacteria. This not only makes the children sick, but of course the adults too, "explained the specialist. (Ad)