Lärm in Kindertagesstätten als Risikofaktor für die Gesundheit von Erzieherinnen

Noise in day-care centres as a risk factor for the health of educators Objective: Noise can cause health problems. Day-care educators tend to perceive noise as “normal” and part of the job. The aim of the study was to find out the extent to which noise in day-care centres or insufficient noise protection measures influence the health of the educators. Methods: A total of 185 educators in day-care centres in Magdeburg and the surrounding area voluntarily participated in the study. The noise level in the group room was measured with the PCE-322A sound level meter (PCE Instruments, Meschede, Germany) and the hearing ability of the educators was measured with the SD 25 mobile audiometer from Siemens (Germany). Questionnaires were used for subjective assessment of exposure to noise. Results: The noise level (LAeq) in the group rooms varied between 65 and 91 dB(A) with respective maximum levels (LAmax) of 74–106.5 dB(A). 165 educators (94.3 %) had no hearing impairment, 8 (4.6 %) had mild and 2 (1.1 %) had moderate hearing loss on both sides. Exposure to noise in the group room correlates slightly with hearing impairment and with burnout symptoms (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Noise protection measures must be taken. The hearing of daycare workers should also be tested regularly as part of occupational health screening. Keywords: early childhood education – noise levels – hearing impairment – mental health – burnout