Pressure to work, health status, and work conditions of schoolteachers in Basic Education in Brazil

Diseases in general and work absenteeism due to illness are prevalent among schoolteachers in Basic Education, whose mission is essential for preparing future citizens. This study study aimed to produce information on demographics, characteristics of the schools and school systems, and health status of the group of teachers that felt pressured to work even when sick. The probabilistic sample was calculated by simple random selection in order to represent the total universe of 2,229,269 Brazilian schoolteachers working in Basic Education (preschool-12). Teachers answered a multi-thematic questionnaire by telephone. The question leading to the outcome variable, "Do you experience difficulty missing work even when you're feeling pain or have some other health problem?", was tested and validated. The answer allowed empirically operationalizing the concept of pressure to work when sick. The multivariate analysis used Pearson's chi-square test and the decision tree method. The final model's fit was assessed by estimating the risk of incorrect classification. The tree's subdivisions pointed to weak social support as the first determinant of pressure to work, 55% reported difficulty missing work when they were feeling pain or having some other health problem, and 70% of the group that rated their health as bad or very bad felt pressured to appear for work even when sick or in pain. The associated factors were: weak social support, an agitated workplace due to unruly students, and health problems that were considered work-related diseases. Given the goals of valuing schoolteachers in Basic Education, attention should be given to gender differences, management styles, and infrastructure in the schools.