Assessment of Quality of Life of the Teachers in Girlâs High School Compared to General Population in Iran

Background: Teachers are one of the most important human resources. The strengths and quality of any educational system depends largely upon their teacher's work. It has been well documented that teaching is one of the most stressful professions in the world. Aim: This study aimed to determine the teachers' quality of life in Tehran high schools compares the quality of life of Tehran general population. Subjects and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a sample of 190 girl's high school teachers was selected from 30 schools of Tehran using stratified random sampling. In this study, age, teaching experience, marital status, education, and income were considered independent variables. The SF-36 Quality of Life Scale was used to assess the quality of life. Results: There was a positive association between teaching experience and the mean scores of mental health subscales, and also between marital status and the mean scores of physical functioning, vitality, and total physical health; in other words, the score was higher in single teachers (P<0.05). The mean scores of teachers in this study were significantly lower than the general population in all dimensions of the QOL except for mental health and emotional limitations (P<0.05). Conclusions: In Tehran, teachers have a lower QOL than the general population. This study suggests that adequate coping resources, especially social support, may be an important factor for improving the teachers' quality of life.