Burnout syndrome, work ability, quality of life and physical activity in teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Campo Grande, Brazil

Issue title: Work-related Pain

Guest editors: Karen Jacobs and Remko Soer

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Neto, Lúcio Barbosa^{a; b; *} | Christofoletti, Gustavo^b | de Alencar, Gildiney Penaves^c | Burke, Thomaz Nogueira^b

Affiliations: [a] Secretaria Municipal de Educação, Campo Grande, Brazil | [b] Graduate Program in Movement Sciences, Allied Health Institute, Federal University of Mato Grossodo Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil | [c] Graduate Program in Health and Development of Center-west Region, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Lúcio Barbosa Neto. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: BACKGROUND:School performance encompasses several forms of representation, and this has been identified as stressing factors with negative repercussions on teachers’ health. In 2020 this scenario was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with yet unknown consequences on teachers’ health. Our hypothesis is that the disease affected both the quality of life and work ability of teachers. OBJECTIVE:To identify the association between burnout syndrome, work ability, quality of life and physical activity in basic education teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Campo Grande, Brazil. METHODS:Data collection took place from April 2020 to April 2021 through an online form linked to Google Forms. Quality of life was measured using the WHOQOL-bref, Work Ability through Work Ability Index (WAI) and burnout syndrome aspects through MBI-HSS. The association between variables was assessed by Pearson’s correlation test with p < 0,05. RESULTS:Teachers self-rated their quality of life positively (good/very good = 55.9%), showed good (43,1%) or very good (27,7%) work ability, and had low emotional fatigue (41.6%), low depersonalization (75.7%) and high personal fulfillment (58.4%). The highest correlations indicate that the greater the emotional fatigue, the lower the WAI (r = – 0.60); and the higher the WAI, the higher the quality of life (all p < 0,05). CONCLUSION:The associations indicate that those teachers who showed greater emotional fatigue showed less ability to work. In addition, a negative association between emotional fatigue and physical, social and environmental domain of quality of life was also expressed, which may be relevant to the work environment.

Keywords: Work, pandemic, health status, stress, school

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-220187

Journal: Work, vol. 78, no. 1, pp. 45-53, 2024