Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
Work stress is an important problem among employees in education in the Netherlands. The present study aims to investigate the effects of a guideline for the implementation of a participatory organizational level stress prevention intervention to reduce job demands, increase resources (autonomy, supervisor and coworker support) and to reduce work stress and increase job satisfaction of employees in primary education.
This study makes use of a multiple case study research design with mixed methods. Questionnaires were filled out by 119 employees of 5 primary schools at baseline and one year later, measuring job demands, resources, work stress, job satisfaction and implementation factors. Per school five interviews were conducted to collect detailed information on the implementation process.
Who can participate?
The study has already been carried out. Participants were all employees of the 5 participating schools
What does the study involve?
The intervention implemented in the five schools is a participatory, organizational level work stress intervention targeted at job demands and resources as the sources of work stress. The intervention is implemented in all participating schools according to the same protocol, as described in detail in the work stress prevention guideline, during a period of 12 months (March 2016 - March 2017). The intervention consists of five successive steps aiming to facilitate the formulation, implementation and evaluation of specific work stress measures. These steps are: 1) preparation, 2) risk assessment, 3) action planning, 4) implementation, and 5) evaluation. The implementation process of the intervention is facilitated and coordinated by an intervention facilitator in all the five schools.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The study is expected to reduce job demands and increase resources of employees, and in addition reduce work stress and increase job satisfaction. No risks are foreseen for participants.
Where is the study run from?
The study is run from TNO, Netherlands
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2016 to July 2017
Who is funding the study?
The implementation of the stress prevention guideline and data collection was funded by Arbeidsmarktplatform PO. The writing of the article was funded by TNO and financially supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment in the Netherlands.
Who is the main contact?
Maartje Bakhuys Roozeboom
maartje.bakhuysroozeboom@tno.nl
Study website
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Contact name
Miss Maartje Bakhuys Roozeboom
ORCID ID
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7796-7808
Contact details
Wouwermanstraat 105
Haarlem
2023 XE
Netherlands
+31 6 19352778
maartje.bakhuysroozeboon@tno.nl
Additional identifiers
EudraCT/CTIS number
Nil known
IRAS number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Nil known
Protocol/serial number
1
Study information
Scientific title
Decreasing employees’ work stress by a participatory, organizational level intervention in primary education: a multiple-case study
Acronym
Study hypothesis
1. The level of job demands will decrease and the level of resources (autonomy, supervisor and coworkers support) will increase between baseline and follow-up (proximal outcomes)
2. The level of work stress will decrease and the level of job satisfaction will increase between baseline and follow-up (distal outcomes)
3. The implementation factors (participation, communication and dialogue on stress) will positively affect the decrease in job demands and the increase in resources between baseline and follow-up
4. The implementation factors (participation, communication and dialogue on stress) will positively affect the decrease in work stress and the increase in job satisfaction between baseline and follow-up
Ethics approval(s)
In the Netherlands, a study needs ethical approval when it falls under the scope of the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO). Research with human subjects only falls under the WMO if there is an infringement of the physical and/or psychological integrity of the subject, we had strong reasons to believe that our study did not require ethical approval.
Study design
Multiple case study research design with mixed methods
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Non randomised study
Study setting(s)
School
Study type
Prevention
Patient information sheet
No participant information sheet available
Condition
Work stress, job satisfaction, job demands and resources
Intervention
The intervention implemented in the five schools is a participatory, organizational level work stress intervention targeted at job demands and resources as the sources of work stress. The intervention is implemented in all participating schools according to the same protocol, as described in detail in the work stress prevention guideline, during a period of 12 months (March 2016 - March 2017). The intervention consists of five successive steps aiming to facilitate the formulation, implementation and evaluation of specific work stress measures.
These steps are:
1. Preparation
2. Risk assessment
3. Action planning
4. Implementation
5. Evaluation
The implementation process of the intervention is facilitated and coordinated by an intervention facilitator in all the five schools.
Intervention type
Mixed
Primary outcome measure
Work stress and job satisfaction measured by means of a questionnaire at baseline and follow-up (12-months)
Secondary outcome measures
Job demands and resources measured by means of a questionnaire at baseline and follow-up (12-months)
Overall study start date
01/10/2015
Overall study end date
01/07/2017
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
Employees of the 5 participating schools
Participant type(s)
Other
Age group
Adult
Sex
Both
Target number of participants
A total of 199 employees of 5 primary schools are invited to participate.
Total final enrolment
119
Participant exclusion criteria
None
Recruitment start date
01/01/2016
Recruitment end date
01/03/2016
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Netherlands
Study participating centre
TNO
Anna van Buerenplein 1
Den Haag
2595 DA
Netherlands
Sponsor information
Organisation
TNO
Sponsor details
Anna van Buerenplein 1
Den Haag
2595 DA
Netherlands
+31 88 866 00 00
maartje.bakhuysroozeboom@tno.nl
Sponsor type
Research organisation
Website
ROR
Funders
Funder type
Research organisation
Funder name
Arbeidsmarkt Platform Primair Onderwijs (Labor Market Primary Education Platform)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
The results of the effect and process evaluation are planned to be submitted in a peer-reviewed journal in 2019
Intention to publish date
01/11/2019
Individual participant data (IPD) sharing plan
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request
IPD sharing plan summary
Stored in repository
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | results | 13/05/2020 | 15/05/2020 | Yes | No |