Risk factors and integrated assessment of health disorders in teachers of rural comprehensive schools

Teaching is an occupation with high stress levels and extremely poor health indicators, which tend to decline as working records become longer. The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors able to cause health issues in teachers of rural comprehensive schools and to determine the significance of clinical and laboratory indices as early indicators. The work uses the results of hygienic, clinical and laboratory studies aimed at assessing health and working conditions of teachers employed at comprehensive schools in rural areas of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Sanitary and hygienic conditions in classrooms of rural comprehensive schools were assessed in conformity with the Guide R 2.2.2006-05. Medical check-ups resulted in 255 various somatic diseases diagnosed in 70 teachers, overall, 3.64 diseases per one examined teacher. Laboratory tests revealed elevated hemoglobin levels in 20.00 % of the examined female teachers and low ones in 8.57 %. Erythrocytosis was established in 64.29 % of the examined teachers. We also established some slight changes in hematocrit levels, which were elevated in 4.29 % and low in 8.57 % of the examined teachers. Accordingly, in case hemoglobin levels were low, erythrocyte indices MCV and МСН went down as well in 30.00-32.86 % of the female teachers. The number of workers with elevated glucose and cholesterol levels went up as their work records grew longer (the correlation coefficients were 0.94÷0.98). Examination of microflora found in the upper airway mucosa revealed clinically significant contamination, which was mostly represented by cocci bacteria, the most significant microorganisms being Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus spp and β-hаemolytic streptococci. Our integrated study has shown that working conditions at workplaces of teachers in rural comprehensive schools do not conform to safety standards as per work hardness and work intensity (intellectual, emotional and sensory loads). The study results confirm high importance of diagnostic methods as indicators of health issues in teachers employed at comprehensive schools. Preventive measures aimed at protecting teachers’ health in rural areas should consider peculiarities of pathomorphosis that determines their health status.