Gender differences in mental health-related sickness absence in the education sector.

BACKGROUND: The education sector experiences high rates of sickness absence, primarily due to mental health disorders. This issue poses significant challenges, not only for the affected employees but also for their colleagues, pupils, the organization, and the society as a whole. Several factors are likely to contribute to this issue, including work-related factors and gender dynamics, as the education sector has a high proportion of female employees. METHODS: In this study, we use statistical methods to compare the average duration of sickness absence due to mental disorders in the education sector with other sectors. Additionally, we explore the influence of gender, age, and working hours on the duration of sickness absence. For our study we use a large dataset consisting of approximately 200,000 cases of sickness absence due to mental disorders, with more than 32,000 cases from the education sector. RESULTS: Our analysis shows that average sickness absence duration is consistently longer in the education sector than in other sectors, even after accounting for gender and age. Specifically, the average duration of sickness due to mental disorders in the education sector is 235 days, compared to 188 days in other sectors. We also observe gender differences in absence duration in all sectors, with an interaction effect indicating that working in education affects recovery rates more for men than for women. Consequently, the gender difference in absence duration is smaller in the education sector than in other sectors. CONCLUSION: Using a large dataset, we find significant differences in absence duration between employees in the education sector and those in other sectors. Other factors, such as gender, also influence sickness absence duration, but to a lesser extent. Notably, the gender effect on absence duration is smaller in the education sector compared to other sectors.

A systematic review on mental health and its associated factors among educators in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Mental health is a vital aspect of health and wellbeing that supports our capacity as individuals and as a society to make choices, form bonds with one another, and influence the world we live in. This review aims to identify and synthesize research on mental health and its associated factors among educators in Malaysia. Given the rise in mental health issues among educators, it is crucial to understand the risk factors and develop supportive environments to promote mental well-being. By investigating the causes of poor mental health among educators, this review seeks to provide recommendations based on evidence for future research priorities, policy, and practice, particularly in Malaysia. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. A total of 488 studies were identified from five databases namely Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and PsycINFO with 30 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Covidence tool is used for screening and data extraction. RESULTS: The findings highlighted six major themes as significant predictors of poor mental health among educators in Malaysia were work-family conflict and demands, pandemic impact, work environment, physical health, personality traits, and workload. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of this review support future policy research on academic well-being, aiming to improve work-life balance for educators. Stakeholders can work towards creating a more supportive, productive, and sustainable academic environment in Malaysia.

The knowledge about long-term consequences of preterm birth among health professionals, educational professionals, and parents in Slovenia.

AIM: To assess the knowledge about the long-term consequences of preterm birth and the need for training and information among various professionals working with preterm children and parents of preterm children. METHODS: In February and March 2018, physicians, psychologists, special education needs teachers, teachers, preschool teachers, and parents (N=488) filled in the Preterm Birth-Knowledge Scale and a survey regarding their perceptions and attitudes toward working with preterm children. RESULTS: Physicians and psychologists were most knowledgeable among the groups about the long-term consequences of preterm birth. Teachers, preschool teachers, and parents had significantly lower knowledge (F=23.18, P<0.001). The majority of professionals indicated that they did not feel adequately equipped to support the learning and development of preterm children and that they had not received sufficient training in this area. More than half indicated that they had received no formal training. In general, the participants tended to underestimate the long-term problems of preterm children. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the importance of integrating the issue of the long-term outcomes of preterm birth and working with preterm children into formal education, and in other forms of educational activities.

Social intelligence in health professions educationists: how it helps to deal with challenges at the workplace? a mixed-method study.

Objectives: To identify the social intelligence of medical educationists, and the coping strategies used to deal with workplace challenges. METHODS: The mixed-method study with an explanatory sequential design was conducted from March 15 to July 30, 2021, after approval from the ethics review committee of Riphah International University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and comprised medical educationists working in medical and dental colleges and institutions across the country. Data was collected using Tromso social intelligence scale in the quantitative phase. The socially intelligent educationists were identified, and were interviewed. Qualitative data was subjected to thematic analysis to identify predominant themes explaining the coping strategies used. RESULTS: In the quantitative phase, there were 80 participants; 51(63.7%) females and 29(36.3%) males, with 24(30%) having >10 years of professional experience. Of them, 11(13.8%) scored low, 54(67.5%) moderate and 15(18.8%) high on the social intelligence scale. In the qualitative phase, there were 13 subjects; 9(69.2%) females and 4(30.8%) males. There were 4 themes identified as coping strategies; inspire respect and trust, bringing readiness before a change, a collaborative and inclusive approach and use of soft skills. CONCLUSIONS: Variation was seen in the levels of social intelligence among medical educationists working in academic institutions. Those with high levels of social intelligence used their non-cognitive soft skills to manage workplace challenges.

Food and beverage marketing in schools: school superintendents' perspectives and practices after the healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

OBJECTIVE: Children are surrounded by ubiquitous forms of unhealthy food marketing at home and in schools. The US Department of Agriculture now restricts food and beverage marketing that does not meet Smart Snacks in School standards. School superintendents, as districts' top administrators, play a critical role in ensuring marketing policies are implemented and adhered to; however, there is limited research involving this stakeholder group. The current study examined superintendents' perspectives on food marketing in schools and the marketing provision in wellness policies, as well as experiences with the implementation of such policies. DESIGN: Qualitative focus groups and follow-up interviews (with focus group participants) were conducted by trained researchers. SETTING: Focus groups occurred at The School Superintendents' annual meeting; follow-up interviews were over the telephone. PARTICIPANTS: Superintendents and assistant superintendents (n 39) from twenty-three states participated. Interviews were recorded and professionally transcribed; transcripts were team-coded in Atlas.ti using an iteratively revised coding guide to facilitate theme generation. RESULTS: Despite common concerns that marketing to children was 'insidious', superintendents reported a wide range of food and beverage marketing policies. In addition, the main issue is fundraising - such as 'restaurant nights' - that results in marketing that occurs on- and off-campus and afterschool. CONCLUSIONS: Discrepancies between perspectives and practices point to the challenges that superintendents face with budgetary constraints, as well as relationships with parent-teacher organisations. These findings provide important insights about superintendents' perspectives and challenges, particularly for government and child health advocates supporting school districts, to implement these policies.

Is combining human service work with family caregiving associated with additional odds of emotional exhaustion and sickness absence? A cross-sectional study based on a Swedish cohort.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to examine to what extent human service work and family caregiving is associated with emotional exhaustion and sickness absence, and to what extent combining human service work and family caregiving is associated with additional odds. METHODS: Data were derived from participants in paid work from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, year 2016 (n = 11 951). Logistic regression analyses were performed and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals estimated for the association between human service work and family caregiving, respectively, as well as combinations of the two on one hand, and emotional exhaustion and self-reported sickness absence on the other hand. Interaction between human service work and family caregiving was assessed as departure from additivity with Rothman's synergy index. RESULTS: Human service work was not associated with higher odds of emotional exhaustion, but with higher odds of sickness absence. Providing childcare was associated with higher odds of emotional exhaustion, but lower odds of sickness absence, and caring for a relative was associated with higher odds of both emotional exhaustion and sickness absence. There was no indication of an additive interaction between human service work and family caregiving in relation to neither emotional exhaustion nor sickness absence. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find support for the common assumption that long hours providing service and care for others by combining human service work with family caregiving can explain the higher risk of sickness absence or emotional exhaustion among employees in human service occupations.

The development of clinical thinking in trainee physicians: the educator perspective.

BACKGROUND: An important element of effective clinical practice is the way physicians think when they encounter a clinical situation, with a significant number of trainee physicians challenged by translating their learning into professional practice in the clinical setting. This research explores the perceptions of educators about how trainee physicians develop their clinical thinking in clinical settings. It considers what educators and their colleagues did to help, as well as the nature of the context in which they worked. METHOD: A qualitative approach was used in this study with in depth interviews carried out with educators as key informants. Rich data derived from 15 interview transcripts were analysed thematically in a rigorous and iterative process. RESULTS: Three broad and overlapping themes were identified: working in an educationally minded culture; proximity of the educator to the trainee physician; and trajectory of the trainee physician. The departments in which these educators worked emphasised the importance for the education of trainee physicians. All members of the team were responsible for education of the team, and all members, particularly senior nurses, were able to give feedback upon the trainee physicians' progress. Educators described working side by side with their trainee physician and frequently being in close proximity to them which means that the educator was both easily accessible and spent more time with their trainee physicians. They described a trajectory of the trainee physicians through the placement with close monitoring and informal assessment throughout. CONCLUSION: Recommendations are made as to how trainee physicians can be supported to develop their clinical thinking. Educators and managers can analyse their own and their department's practice and select the recommendations relevant to their local circumstances in order to make change. This study adds the educator perspective to a body of literature about the importance of context and supportive learning environments. As such the discussion is applicable to the education of other health professionals.

Student-inflicted injuries to staff in schools: comparing risk between educators and non-educators.

OBJECTIVE: Student-inflicted injury to staff in the educational services sector is a growing concern. Studies on violence have focused on teachers as victims, but less is known about injuries to other employee groups, particularly educational assistants. Inequities may be present, as educational assistants and non-educators may not have the same wage, benefits, training and employment protections available to them as professional educators. We identified risk factors for student-related injury and their characteristics among employees in school districts. METHODS: Workers' compensation data were used to identify incidence and severity of student-related injury. Rates were calculated using negative binomial regression; risk factors were identified using multivariate models to calculate rate ratios (RR) and 95% CIs. RESULTS: Over 26% of all injuries were student-related; 8% resulted in lost work time. Special and general education assistants experienced significantly increased risk of injury (RR=6.0, CI 5.05 to 7.15; RR=2.07, CI 1.40 to 3.07) as compared with educators. Risk differed by age, gender and school district type. Text analyses categorised student-related injury. It revealed injury from students acting out occurred most frequently (45.4%), whereas injuries involving play with students resulted in the highest percentage of lost-time injuries (17.7%) compared with all interaction categories. CONCLUSION: Student-inflicted injury to staff occurs frequently and can be severe. Special education and general assistants bear the largest burden of injury compared with educators. A variety of prevention techniques to reduce injury risk and severity, including policy or environmental modifications, may be appropriate. Equal access to risk reduction methods for all staff should be prioritised.

Workplace violence and development of burnout symptoms: a prospective cohort study on 1823 social educators.

PURPOSE: Burnout and workplace violence (WPV) have been associated in cross-sectional studies, but longitudinal studies with solid methods and adequate sample sizes are lacking. This study investigates whether WPV increases burnout symptoms during a 12-month period. METHODS: Questionnaire data were collected on 1823 social educators at baseline and 12-month follow-up, coupled with additionally 12 monthly text-message surveys on exposure to WPV. Using general linear modelling for repeated measures, we estimated change over time in burnout symptoms in three WPV exposure groups (none, low, high). RESULTS: A time by exposure to WPV interaction existed for development of burnout; F(2) = 7.2, p = 0.001 η2 = 0.011. Burnout increased significantly within the group of low exposure; F(1) = 6.8, p = 0.01 and high exposure; F(1) = 6.7 p = 0.001, but not within the non-exposed F(1) = 2.1 p = 0.15. At follow-up, both the low exposed and high exposed had significantly higher levels of burnout compared to the non-exposed. CONCLUSION: Exposure to WPV increases level of burnout within a 12-month period. We propose that assessment of burnout in future studies should utilize instruments capable of detecting small changes. We further propose that prevention against employee burnout could be improved using monitoring targeted at employees exposed to WPV.

Burnout symptomatology and social support at work independent of the private sphere: a population-based study of French teachers.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between social support at work and burnout among teachers, independent of the teachers' private social and environmental context. METHODS: In the 2013 "Teachers' Quality of Life" population-based study (France, n = 2653), burnout symptomatology was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The score for each dimension (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment) was dichotomized using extreme tertiles. Global score for social support at work, and subscores by source and type were derived from the Karasek Job Content Questionnaire and were categorized into tertiles (low, medium, and high). The private context was appraised through the "social relationships" and "environment" subscales of the short version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire. Associations between social support at work and burnout indicators were evaluated among 2473 teachers with complete data, using logistic regression models adjusted for the private context plus sociodemographic and work-related characteristics. RESULTS: Eight percent of the teachers showed simultaneously high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization and low personal accomplishment symptoms and were considered as burnout cases. After controlling for the private context, teachers who reported high social support at work were significantly less likely to report burnout [odds ratio (95% confidence interval) high vs. low = 0.62 (0.40, 0.98)]. When distinguishing the source of social support at work, only high social support from supervisors remained significantly associated with a lower risk of burnout [0.43 (0.27, 0.71)]. CONCLUSIONS: Improving social support at work, especially from a hierarchical point of view, may be an effective target to promote teacher's well-being.

Why Secondary Schools Do Not Implement Far-Reaching Smoke-Free Policies: Exploring Deep Core, Policy Core, and Secondary Beliefs of School Staff in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Secondary schools that implement smoke-free policies are confronted with students who start smoking outside their premises. One solution is to complement smoke-free policies with prohibitions for all students to leave the school area during school hours, technically making school hours a smoke-free period. However, there are strikingly few Dutch secondary schools that implement this approach. This study explores why staff members in the Netherlands decide not to implement smoke-free school hours for all students. METHOD: We interviewed 13 staff members, with different functions, from four secondary schools. The analysis was informed by the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) to delve into the values, rationales, and assumptions of staff with the aim to identify deep core, policy core, and secondary beliefs. RESULTS: We identified six beliefs. Two deep core beliefs are that schools should provide adolescents the freedom to learn how to responsibly use their personal autonomy and that schools should only interfere if adolescents endanger or bother others. Three policy core beliefs identified included the following: that smoking is not a pressing issue for schools to deal with; that schools should demarcate their jurisdiction to intervene in adolescents' lives in time, space, and precise risk behavior; and that implementing smoke-free school hours would interfere with maintaining positive student-staff relationships. One secondary belief identified was that smoke-free school hours would be impossible to enforce consistently. CONCLUSION: This paper was the first to demonstrate the many beliefs explaining why schools refrain from voluntary implementing far-reaching smoke-free policies.

Preparing our future workforce: a qualitative exploration of dietetics practice educators' experiences.

BACKGROUND: Dietetics practice educators are instrumental in the development of future dietitians. The present study aimed to explore dietetics practice educators' experiences of, and challenges faced in, dietetics workforce preparation. METHODS: This study was guided by interpretive description methodology. Purposive and maximum variation sampling were used to recruit 18 dietetics practice educators from a variety of practice areas and locations across Australia. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were digitally recorded then transcribed verbatim and inductive coding of data was managed with nvivo (QSR International Pty Ltd, Doncaster, VIC, Australia). Multiple researchers analysed the data to develop preliminary themes using template analysis before final themes were identified. RESULTS: Three main themes were developed: nurturing others; seeing the flaws; and soldiering on. Practice educators take great satisfaction in witnessing students develop and are focused on cultivating future practitioners with authentic learning activities. However, they are impacted by perceived shortcomings of the systems in which they operate and consider that broadening the scope of dietetics placements to better align with contemporary practice could benefit graduates and the profession. Despite these challenges, practice educators are pragmatic in getting on with their roles and recognise the advantages gained from student placements. CONCLUSIONS: Despite facing numerous challenges, practice educators derive benefits from their role in workforce preparation. Evidence is required on how students can demonstrate competence in contemporary areas of practice and on how to enable the scope of student placements to be broadened. Such strategies could support practice educators to overcome challenges and help ensure the dietetics profession of tomorrow is relevant and responsive.

Educator perspectives on factors influencing children's school-based physical activity.

Formative research is an important first step in the design and development of children's school-based physical activity (PA) interventions. Exploration of educator [headteacher and physical education (PE)-co-ordinator] perceptions toward the promotion of school-based PA, including PE delivery has however been limited. This study took a socio-ecological approach to explore the barriers and facilitators of children's school-based PA from the perspective of school educators. Interviews were conducted with headteachers (n = 4), PE-co-ordinators (n = 4) and a deputy headteacher (n = 1) and data thematically analysed using Nvivo software (version 10). Findings suggested that, at an organizational level headteachers were the predominant driving force in the promotion of PA opportunities, yet institutional barriers including low priority for PA and PE were perceived to negate delivery. At an interpersonal level, strategies to increase the delivery of school-based PA were developed, however poor teacher-coach relationships and significant others reduced PA promotion opportunities. Child PA was further negated through intrapersonal factors, including lack of PE-specific teacher training and varying teacher interest in PA and sport. To increase primary school children's school-based PA, barriers and facilitators at the organizational, interpersonal and intrapersonal level must be considered and targeted and researchers and schools should work in partnership to develop future interventions.

Educators' behaviours during feedback in authentic clinical practice settings: an observational study and systematic analysis.

BACKGROUND: Verbal feedback plays a critical role in health professions education but it is not clear which components of effective feedback have been successfully translated from the literature into supervisory practice in the workplace, and which have not. The purpose of this study was to observe and systematically analyse educators' behaviours during authentic feedback episodes in contemporary clinical practice. METHODS: Educators and learners videoed themselves during formal feedback sessions in routine hospital training. Researchers compared educators' practice to a published set of 25 educator behaviours recommended for quality feedback. Individual educator behaviours were rated 0 = not seen, 1 = done somewhat, 2 = consistently done. To characterise individual educator's practice, their behaviour scores were summed. To describe how commonly each behaviour was observed across all the videos, mean scores were calculated. RESULTS: Researchers analysed 36 videos involving 34 educators (26 medical, 4 nursing, 4 physiotherapy professionals) and 35 learners across different health professions, specialties, levels of experience and gender. There was considerable variation in both educators' feedback practices, indicated by total scores for individual educators ranging from 5.7 to 34.2 (maximum possible 48), and how frequently specific feedback behaviours were seen across all the videos, indicated by mean scores for each behaviour ranging from 0.1 to 1.75 (maximum possible 2). Educators commonly provided performance analysis, described how the task should be performed, and were respectful and supportive. However a number of recommended feedback behaviours were rarely seen, such as clarifying the session purpose and expectations, promoting learner involvement, creating an action plan or arranging a subsequent review. CONCLUSIONS: These findings clarify contemporary feedback practice and inform the design of educational initiatives to help health professional educators and learners to better realise the potential of feedback.

Needs, motivations, and identification with teaching: a comparative study of temporary part-time and tenure-track health science faculty in Iceland.

BACKGROUND: About 70% of teachers who instruct healthcare students are considered sessional (adjunct/temporary part-time) faculty and receive limited instruction in pedagogy. Sessional faculty may feel isolated and struggle with their teacher identity, and are often assumed to vary in their commitment, motivation, and ability to teach. However, research on teaching identity, motivations, and needs of sessional faculty is lacking. The aim of this study was to compare similarities and differences between sessional and tenure-track faculty across a health science school to guide faculty development for sessional faculty. METHODS: We developed an online needs assessment survey, based on informal interviews and literature reviews. Seventy-eight tenure-track faculty and 160 sessional faculty completed the survey (37, 25% response rate, respectively). We used validated scales to assess intrinsic motivation, identified regulated motivation, and identification with teaching, as well as developed scales (perceived connectedness, motivated by appreciation to try new teaching method) and single items. All scales demonstrated good internal consistency. We compared sessional and tenure-track faculty using t-tests/chi-square values. RESULTS: We found similarities between sessional and tenure-track faculty in intrinsic motivation, identified regulated motivation, and identification with teaching. However, sessional faculty perceived less department connectedness and were more motivated to improve instruction if shown appreciation for trying new teaching methods. Sessional faculty agreed more that they desired pedagogy instruction before starting to teach and that teachers should invest energy in improving their teaching. Admitting to less participation in activities to enhance teaching in the last year, sessional faculty were more interested in digital formats of faculty development. CONCLUSION: Our comparison suggested that sessional faculty value being a teacher as part of their self, similar to tenured faculty, but desired more appreciation for efforts to improve and perceived less connectedness to their university department than tenured faculty. They also preferred digital formats for pedagogy to improve accessibility, prior to and throughout their teaching career to support their development as teachers. Using this information as a guide, we provide suggestions for faculty development for sessional faculty. Supporting sessional faculty in the health sciences should improve the quality of teaching and positively affect student learning.

Teachers' and students' perceptions on barriers and facilitators for eHealth education in the curriculum of functional exercise and physical therapy: a focus groups study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the growing importance of eHealth it is not consistently embedded in the curricula of functional exercise and physical therapy education. Insight in barriers and facilitators for embedding eHealth in education is required for the development of tailored strategies to implement eHealth in curricula. This study aims to identify barriers/facilitators perceived by teachers and students of functional exercise/physical therapy for uptake of eHealth in education. METHODS: A qualitative study including six focus groups (two with teachers/four with students) was conducted to identify barriers/facilitators. Focus groups were audiotaped and transcribed in full. Reported barriers and facilitators were identified, grouped and classified using a generally accepted framework for implementation including the following categories: innovation, individual teacher/student, social context, organizational context and political and economic factors. RESULTS: Teachers (n = 11) and students (n = 24) of functional exercise/physical therapy faculties of two universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands participated in the focus groups. A total of 109 barriers/facilitators were identified during the focus groups. Most related to the Innovation category (n = 26), followed by the individual teacher (n = 22) and the organization (n = 20). Teachers and students identified similar barriers/facilitators for uptake of eHealth in curricula: e.g. unclear concept of eHealth, lack of quality and evidence for eHealth, (lack of) capabilities of students/teachers on how to use eHealth, negative/positive attitude of students/teachers towards eHealth. CONCLUSION: The successful uptake of eHealth in the curriculum of functional exercise/physical therapists needs a systematic multi-facetted approach considering the barriers and facilitators for uptake identified from the perspective of teachers and students. A relatively large amount of the identified barriers and facilitators were overlapping between teachers and students. Starting points for developing effective implementation strategies can potentially be found in those overlapping barriers and facilitators. REGISTRATION: The study protocol was a non-medical research and no registration was required. Participants gave written informed consent.

[Recognition of developmental disorders and the information sources among the Japanese adult population].

Objectives　This study aimed to examine methods of providing information to improve the recognition of people with developmental disorders by comparing recognition of developmental disorders among education and health care professionals within the general public.Methods　A cross-sectional internet-based survey was conducted in January 2016. The subjects were Japanese adults aged between 20 and 69 years. Of all the respondents, 418 were males and 424 were females. The questionnaire was used to assess recognition of the names of developmental disorders and to determine the corresponding methods through which the information was obtained. We analyzed cognitive states by classifying the respondents by occupation (education and health care professionals) and by whether the subject had a developmental disorder or was a family member or friend of a person with a developmental disorder separately.Results　The percentage of respondents that reported having heard about developmental disorders was 91.5%. However, only 26.5% reported having provided some form of support to people with developmental disabilities. The percentages of education and health care professionals who were aware of developmental disorders were close to 100%; however, only 63.9% and 42.9%, respectively, could cite how they had become aware of developmental disorders. With regard to the sources of information on developmental disorders, the most frequent answers were television and radio programs (67.1%), followed by the internet. Of all the respondents, 11.3% had heard about developmental disorders in a school setting and 9.9% had heard about the disorders in the workplace.Conclusion　To increase understanding of developmental disorders among education and health care professionals, basic and in-service education must be improved. Furthermore, it is important to provide information on developmental disorders through the media.

A cluster randomized web-based intervention trial to reduce food neophobia and promote healthy diets among one-year-old children in kindergarten: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: A child's first years of life are crucial for cognitive development and future health. Studies show that a varied diet with a high intake of vegetables is positive for both weight and cognitive development. The present low intake of vegetables in children's diets is therefore a concern. Food neophobia can be a barrier for vegetable intake in children. Our hypothesis is that interventions that can increase children's intake of vegetables should be introduced early in life to overcome children's neophobia. This study aims to develop, measure and compare the effect of two different interventions among one-year-old children in kindergartens to reduce food neophobia and promote healthy diets. METHODS: The kindergartens are randomized to one of three groups: two different intervention groups and one control group. We aimed to include a total of 210 children in the study. The first intervention group will be served a warm lunch meal with a variety of vegetables, 3 days a week during the intervention period of 3 months. The second intervention group will be served the same meals and, in addition, kindergarten staff will be asked to implement pedagogical tools including sensory lessons, adapted from the Sapere method, and advices on meal practice and feeding practices. The control group continues their usual meal practices. Parents and kindergarten staff will complete questionnaires regarding food neophobia, food habits and cognitive development at baseline and post intervention. A similar intervention among 2-year-old children in kindergarten has been implemented and evaluated earlier. We will investigate whether a digital version of this intervention has an effect, because digital interventions can be easily implemented nationwide. We will also investigate whether there are benefits of conducting such interventions in younger children, before the onset of food neophobia. Questionnaires, information videos and recipes will be digitally distributed. DISCUSSION: Results of this study will provide new knowledge about whether a sensory education and a healthy meal intervention targeting children, kindergarten staff and parents will reduce levels of food neophobia in children, improve parental and kindergarten feeding practices, improve children's dietary variety, improve children's cognitive development and reduce childhood overweight. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN98064772 .

Faculty's work engagement in patient care: impact on job crafting of the teacher tasks.

BACKGROUND: High levels of work engagement protect against burnout. This can be supported through the work environment and by faculty themselves when they try to improve their work environment. As a result, they can become more engaged and better performers. We studied the relationship between adaptations by physicians to improve their teaching work environment, known as job crafting, and their energy levels, or work engagement, in their work as care provider and teacher. Job crafting encompasses seeking social (i) and structural (ii) resources and challenges (iii) and avoiding hindrances (iv). METHODS: We established a cross-sectional questionnaire survey in a cohort of physicians participating in classroom and clinical teaching. Job crafting and work engagement were measured separately for physicians' clinical and teaching activities. We analyzed our data using structural equation modelling controlling for age, gender, perceived levels of autonomy and participation in decision making. RESULTS: 383 physicians were included. Physicians' work engagement for patient care was negatively associated with two job crafting behaviors in the teaching roles: seeking structural resources (classroom teaching: ß = - 0.220 [95% CI: -0.319 to - 0.129]; clinical teaching: ß = - 0.148 [95% CI: -0.255 to - 0.042]); seeking challenges (classroom teaching: ß = - 0.215 [95% CI: -0.317 to - 0.113]; clinical teaching:, ß = - 0.190 [95% CI: -0.319 to - 0.061]). Seeking social resources and avoiding hindrances were unaffected by physicians' work engagement for patient care. CONCLUSIONS: High engagement for teaching leads to job crafting in teaching. High engagement for patient care does not lead to job crafting in teaching.

The Ability to Deal With Difference: Turkish-Dutch Professionals as Go-Betweens in the Education Sector.

Based on sixteen semi-structured interviews, this article examines how second-generation Turkish-Dutch education professionals experience their professional position in the ethnically homogeneous upper echelons of the Dutch education sector. The analysis shows that second-generation education professionals, being newcomers to higher-level positions in the sector, have to engage with diverse cultural repertoires at work. Instead of being stuck in-between these repertoires, second-generation education professionals actively "go-between" repertoires, employing their ability to deal with difference. In the increasingly super-diverse Dutch classrooms, this "go-between" attitude functions as a second-generation advantage and is conceptually better suited than in-betweenness to describe the position of second-generation professionals.