Social Strata, Health Behavior and Physical & Mental Health---An Example of Teaching and Administration Staff at National Taitung Teachers College

• Main Authors: Tsao Jen-De, 曹仁德
• Other Authors: 黃毅志先生
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/54359117019495497073

碩士 === 臺東師範學院 === 教育研究所 === 91 === Although there is no shortage of verification research projects concerning physical and mental health domestically, the authors have yet to see any studies where the social strata of teaching and administrative staff at domestic technical colleges have been investigated for levels of physical and mental health in quantified verification research projects. Furthermore, up until now, the authors have yet to find any comparative research concerning the social strata of teaching and administrative staff and physical & mental health. What reasons shape the level of physical and mental health for teachers and staff members at technical colleges in the Taiwan region? Why or why not are the levels for teachers and staff members different? Where all of these reasons lie is unknown. The motive of this study is to examine the situation of the physical and mental health of the teaching and administrative staff at National Taitung Teachers College (abbreviated below as NTTC). In addition, the health behavior of teaching and administrative staff will also influence their physical and mental health. This is the theory; however, we must wait for a further step to be taken in implementing actual inquisitive investigative research on the population of the teachers’ and administrative staff’s social strata, before the actual circumstances of the influence of health behavior on physical and mental health at NTTC can be ascertained. In view of the aforementioned motivations, the study takes the question item, “Health Behavior and Physical & Mental Health” in the “Taiwan Social Transformation Basic Examination Program, fourth period, second questionnaire on Social Strata Organization”. After revising the portion concerning the current state of NTTC, an examination of data analysis was carried out (N=115). The primary research findings are listed below: In an equal number of comparative analysis, the physical condition of teachers in the most recent two weeks were generally better than those of the administrative staff. Moreover the day-to-day work and rest of teachers was less likely to be influenced due to physical unwellness or injury than that of the administrative staff. As the level of education was higher, the physical conditions in the most recent two weeks were proportionally better; moreover, activities in daily life were less likely to be influenced due to physical unwellness. However, in the aspect of physical and mental health, chronic illnesses were more prevalent, as were feelings of depression and alienation in proportion to higher levels of education. In the aspect of correlation between gender and physical health, the physical condition of males in the most recent two weeks was better; however, males had more chronic illnesses and higher feelings of alienation than females. The rate of chronic physical and mental illnesses was also higher in proportion to age, and daily life activities were more likely to be influenced due to physical unwellness. Path analysis indicated that as physical examinations of teaching and administrative staff were more frequent, the levels of physical health were correspondingly lower and levels of depression were higher. Exercise that causes perspiration was shown to promote physical health and decrease the influence of depression. In addition, the consumption of alcoholic beverages was shown to decrease physical health and increase feelings of alienation. As for variables of strata, the cause and effect mechanisms of health behavior and physical & mental health are explained below: 1. Level of education: High levels of education had a chief positive influence on feelings of depression, and not doing exercises that cause perspiration had an indirect influence on feelings of depression. High levels of education also had a proportionally high direct influence on feelings of depression. Furthermore, for males with high levels of education, high levels of education also caused the phenomena of higher feelings of depression (mean numbers). Level of education had a chief positive influence on feelings of alienation. This can be attributed to the direct positive influence of education levels on feelings of alienation. Moreover, for males with high levels of education this also caused the phenomenon of feelings of alienation. 2. Profession: The physical health of teachers was superior to that of the administrative staff as a chief influence. Also, teachers’ doing more exercises that cause perspiration had an indirect influence on high levels of physical health. As teachers consumed greater amounts of alcoholic beverages, this decreased physical health. Also, the direct influence on teachers’ physical health was greater than that of the physical health of the administrative staff. In addition, as a majority of the teachers were male, this had a direct influence on the teachers’ physical health being better. In the aspect of psychological health, the chief influence of teachers’ feelings of depression was lower than that of the administrative staff. Also the indirect influence of feelings of depression was decreased by greater exercise that causes perspiration for teachers. The direct influence of feelings of depression was also lower for teachers than for the administrative staff members.