CE Module: The Relationships Between Physical Health and Chronic Disease,Stress,and Resource Strain in Head Start Employees

This issue of Workplace Health & Safety contains a Continuing Nursing Education Module for 1.0 contact hour of continuing nursing education credit will be awarded by AAOHN upon successful completion of the posttest and evaluation.

A certificate will be awarded when the following requirements are met by the participant: (1) Participant logs on to the AAOHN LMS website at www.aaohn.org/education/online-learning-center and enrolls in the course ($10 members; $15 non-members); (2) The completed posttest and course evaluation are entered online at http://www.aaohn.org by April 2022; (3) A score of 75% (6 correct answers) is achieved by the participant.

Upon completion of this lesson, the occupational health nurse will be able to:

• To explain the relationship between perceived health and chronic disease, stress, financial-resource strain and job type among Head Start employees.

• To guide employers toward the benefits of behavior modification programs that address the sources of employee stress, including financial-resource strain and mental health challenges.

The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. is an Approved Provider of continuing nursing education by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc., an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. is additionally approved as a CNE provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing (#CEP9283).

Contact hours received for successful completion of the posttest and evaluation may be used for relicensure, certification, and re-certification.

1. According to the literature review completed for this study, teachers working with children face a number of challenges for all of the following except:

2. Teachers often have inadequate resources and supports

3. Teachers may be struggling with their own health issues

4. Working with young children living in poverty

According to this study, the contributions made by healthy Head Start teachers are anticipated to include all of the following except:

Home support

Establishment of norms within the learning environment

Ability to fully do their job tasks

Provision of quality care to children and their families

In this study, the one strategy that was not used to promote strong employee participation in the study included:

Presentations at manager and staff meetings one month prior to the study’s start

Chief Executive Officer endorsement for staff participation in the survey

Paycheck inserts reminding staff of the upcoming survey

A general email invitation to participate

The participant response rate in the survey was:

69%

59%

49%

60%

This study found that _____% of the Head Start participants were under 45 years of age; _____% were White; and _____% were married.

24.23%: 65.76; and 53.19%

37.11%; 30.43%; and 30.43%

61.34%; 30.43%; and 72.31%

61.34%; 65.76%; and 53.19%

This study found a significant association between the participants’ self-reported physical health status and all of the following measures except for:

Number of chronic diseases and overall mental health

Perceived stress levels and financial-resource strain

Job type

Engaging in an activity for stress management

When asked to rate their interest in workplace well-being programs to help them reach their personal health goals, what percentage of the Head Start respondents said they were to some degree interested?

37.74%

29.57%

28.40%

95.71%

According to this study, organizations should consider all but one of the following actions to meet the needs of employees with poor physical health:

Broad-spectrum approaches to health behavior change

Implementation of a strong corporate culture

Behavior change and self-care programs that address root causes of stress and mental health challenges

Improved wages