Job strain among teachers: associations with occupational factors according to social support.

This study aimed to ascertain the occupational factors associated with job strain among elementary school teachers and whether the associations varied according to social support. This was a cross-sectional study with 842 teachers from the state school system of a municipality in southern Brazil. Occupational information was obtained by means of interviews. Sociodemographic data and the Demand Control Support Questionnaire were included in a self-reported questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed with the calculation of odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The following were associated with job strain: > 40 working hours/week, having suffered violence at school, negative perceptions about the work-personal life balance, remuneration and number of students in the classroom. A stratified analysis revealed that workload and negative perceptions about the number of students per class were significant only in the lower social support group. Job strain is associated with specific teaching conditions, and social support can provide a moderating effect on some of these associations.