Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Teacher Quality of Life: A Longitudinal Study from before and during the Health Crisis

Pablo A. Lizana, Gustavo Vega-Fernadez, Alejandro Gomez-Bruton, Bárbara Leyton and Lydia Lera
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Pablo A. Lizana: Laboratory of Morphological Sciences, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2373223, Chile
Gustavo Vega-Fernadez: Laboratory of Morphological Sciences, Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2373223, Chile
Alejandro Gomez-Bruton: GENUD ‘‘Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development’’ Research Group, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Bárbara Leyton: Public Nutrition Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago 7830490, Chile
Lydia Lera: Public Nutrition Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago 7830490, Chile

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-11

Abstract: Background: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were already reporting a low quality of life (QoL) perception, with a significant impact on mental and physical health due to various stress factors associated with work overload. The objective of this study was to evaluate the QoL impact on Chilean teachers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis was performed following a longitudinal design on a sample of 63 Chilean teachers in pre-pandemic and COVID-19 pandemic timeframes. QoL perception, along with teachers’ sociodemographic data, was evaluated via the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. Sociodemographic variables presented no significant variations in pre-pandemic and pandemic comparisons. QoL, however, showed a significant decrease during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic measurement ( p < 0.01). In each gender, there were significant differences between pre-pandemic and pandemic timeframes, with a greater impact among women in the mental and physical component summary variables and seven of the eight QoL scales ( p < 0.01). Between age categories, people under 45 presented significant differences ( p < 0.05) between pre-pandemic and pandemic timeframes in all summary dimensions and measurements. In conclusion, Chilean teachers’ QoL perception has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings could be related to work overload due to teleworking or feelings of uncertainty, loneliness, and fear that the pandemic and its associated confinements will worsen.

Keywords: pandemic; COVID-19; school teachers; quality of life; mental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (21)

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