Hygienic assessment and optimization of working conditions for teachers during distance learning

Introduction. The article presents the materials of a pilot study conducted during the rapid forced transition of educational organizations in the Russian Federation to the implementation of educational activities in a remote (distant) format.

The aim of study is a hygienic assessment of the use of information and communication technologies and features of the lifestyle of teachers during the organization of distance learning.

Materials and methods. A comparative analysis of the survey data was conducted (a questionnaire developed by teachers of the Department of hygiene of the faculty of Pediatrics of the Pirogov Russian State Medical University, the teachers of general education institutions, secondary and higher professional education on the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the process of training in traditional and remote format, the issues of subjective evaluation by teachers of the impact of modern gadgets and time of their use on their health, as well as analyze the level of competence of teachers in matters of students’ health preservation and conservation of his health. A total of 1,452 teachers were interviewed, the main share being women (about 80%) living in various cities of Russia.

Results. School teachers and university teachers in general adequately assess the risk of behavioral factors of irrational use of electronic devices (ED) on the state of health. However, there is a group of teachers who “underestimate the risk of exposure” (about 20%), and their number increased in March-April 2020, i.e. during the transition to remote training. Online training has an impact on the state of the body of both the student and the teacher.
Comparative analysis showed that in the period of distance learning has increased the amount of used power plant; several times increased screen time; increased burden on the state of the visual analyzer, musculoskeletal system; has changed the way of life of teachers, significantly increased neuro-emotional voltage.
The obtained data confirm the feasibility of further research in this direction, the need to normalize the work of teachers in the new conditions of remote work in an online format in order to preserve their health.

Conclusions. The transfer of the educational process to a remote format contributes to a significant increase in the load on individual functional systems of the teacher’s body, which negatively affects the state of his health.

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