The impact of distance education on the neck pain among teachers in times of COVID-19

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic the format of education was forced to change from formal to distance in a considerably short time. The study aimed to analyze the changes in the prevalence and the severity of neck pain among teachers during the pandemic. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study analyzed the Neck Disability Index (NDI), a self-report questionnaire designed to assess the individual's neck pain experience in daily life and rate a disability score due to neck pain, and numerical rating scale (NRS) report pairs completed by teachers. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 41.67 +/- 9.57. The majority were female (67.9 %) and were employed for less than 20 years in teaching (68.9%). The survey results collected at the beginning and at the end of the first year of the pandemic showed that the mean session hours per week were 21.19 +/- 9.21 and 21.61 +/- 9.45, the mean NDI scores were 11.61 +/- 6.17 and 12.65 +/- 7.76, and the mean NRS scores were 3.05 +/- 2.96 and 4.75 +/- 3.13. The female participants scored significantly higher disability scores (p<0.001). The NRS scores were increased in both genders ( p<0.001). The NDI scores, the disability grouping, and NRS were significantly associated with weekly session hours (p= 0.011, p< 0.001 and p< 0.001, respectively). The NRS scores were increased in all age groups (p<0.001). The increase in weekly session hours was related to the NRS scores ( p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In one year during the pandemic, despite unchanged telework hours, a significant increase in neck pain incidence and pain severity was noted among teachers. Unexperienced employees in the line of distance working should receive adequate training to avoid not only musculoskeletal disorders but other physical and psychological unwanted effects.