Online teaching, quality of life and anxiety of Brazilian dental professors during the COVID-19 outbreak

Pucinelli, Carolina Maschietto; Oliveira, Angélica Aparecida de; Nelson Filho, Paulo; Silva, Léa Assed Bezerra da; Castro, Guilherme Piedade Assed de; Lima, Ricardo Barbosa; Silva, Raquel Assed Bezerra da

doi:10.1590/1807-3107bor-2022.vol36.0036

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Original Research, Dentistry • Braz. oral. res. 36 • 2022 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-3107bor-2022.vol36.0036 copy

Online teaching, quality of life and anxiety of Brazilian dental professors during the COVID-19 outbreak

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in academic teaching and dental education, but the impact on dental professors’ mental health and quality of life remains poorly understood. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of social distancing and online teaching related to COVID-19 on the quality of life and anxiety of Brazilian dental professors. This was a cross-sectional study conducted from August 2020 to October 2020. Three instruments were used in an online version: a questionnaire about personal data, academic information and online teaching activities, the Generalized Anxiety Disorders 7 (GAD7) scale, and the Abbreviated World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-bref) scale. All instruments were sent by e-mail, social media, and messaging apps to private and public universities and professors. Of the 318 responses, 187 (58.8%) were from female professors. Moreover, lack of good internet access and adequate place for online teaching, difficulties in producing teaching materials, and housework roles had a significant impact on the quality of life and anxiety scores (all p-values < 0.05). Also, Brazilian dental professors who declared that they would make greater efforts if the activities were face-to-face had significantly worse quality of life and anxiety scores, and female professors had significantly higher anxiety scores (all p-values < 0.05). These results provide evidence of a negative effect of social distancing and online teaching activities related to COVID-19 outbreak on the health-related quality of life and mental health of Brazilian dental professors.

Keywords:
COVID-19; Dentistry; Anxiety; Quality of Life

Variable	GAD-7 score
Variable		0–4	5–9	10–14	15–21
Absolute frequency	n	38	159	68	53
Relative frequency	%	11.9	50	21.4	16.7
Mean score			9.13
Standard deviation			4.56
Median			8
Range			21 [0, 21]

Variable	WHOQOL-bref score
	Domain 1	Domain 2	Domain 3	Domain 4
	Physical	Psychological	Social relationships	Environment
Items	3, 4, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18	5, 6, 7, 11, 19, 26	20, 21, 22	8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, 25
Mean score	56.6^a a/b/c/d statistical differences.	63.2^b a/b/c/d statistical differences.	66.7^c a/b/c/d statistical differences.	71.6^d a/b/c/d statistical differences.
Standard deviation	± 10.2	± 11.5	± 18.7	± 12.7
Median	57.1	64.6	66.7	71.9
Range	60.7	58.3	100	65.6
Range	[21.4, 82.1]	[29.2, 87.5]	[0, 100]	[34.4, 100]

Dichotomous outcomes (yes or no)	n	%	GAD-7	WHOQOL-bref
				Domain	Domain	Domain	Domain
				1	2	3	4
			p-value and outcome (better or worse)
Reduced income during the COVID-19 pandemic	180	56.6	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.
Reduced income during the COVID-19 pandemic	180	56.6	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05	(worse)	(worse)
Moved to another city during the COVID-19 pandemic	23	7.2	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05
Taught online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic	307	96.5	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05
Greater effort if the activities were face-to-face	161	50.6	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.
Greater effort if the activities were face-to-face	161	50.6	(worse)	(worse)	(worse)	(worse)	(worse)
Presented difficulties to produce didactic materials to be made available online	157	49.4	<0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	<0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	<0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	<0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	<0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.
	157	49.4	(worse)	(worse)	(worse)	(worse)	(worse)
Produced materials to be made available online to students before the COVID-19 pandemic	133	41.8	> 0.05	> 0.05	<0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	<0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	<0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.
	133	41.8	> 0.05	> 0.05	(worse)	(worse)	(worse)
Had a quiet and peaceful place in their home to teach classes and prepare materials	241	75.8	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.
	241	75.8	(better)	(better)	(better)	(better)	(better)
Good internet access	295	92.8	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.
Good internet access	295	92.8	(better)	(better)	(better)	(better)	(better)
Had an impact on work routine due to caring for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic	111	34.9	> 0.05	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05
	111	34.9	> 0.05	(worse)	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05
Had an impact on work routine due to housework during the COVID-19 pandemic	180	56.6	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant compared to participants who answered “no”.
	180	56.6	(worst)	(worst)	(worst)	(worst)	(worst)
The participant or a family member tested positive for COVID-19	65	20.4	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05	> 0.05

Ordinal outcomes (Likert scale answers)	GAD-7	WHOQOL-bref
		Domain 1	Domain 2	Domain 3	Domain 4
		p-value
Self-assessment of teaching methodology during the COVID-19 pandemic	> 0.05	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.
Coefficient (r)	–	0.193	0.237	0.229	0.137
Correlation level	–	very weak	very weak	very weak	very weak
Self-assessment of efforts in online classes taught during the COVID-19 pandemic	> 0.05	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	> 0.05
Coefficient (r)	–	0.203	0.200	0.119	–
Correlation level	–	very weak	very weak	very weak	–
Self-assessment of performance in online activities during the COVID-19 pandemic	> 0.05	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.
Coefficient (r)	–	0.257	0.226	0.156	0.171
Correlation level	–	very weak	very weak	very weak	very weak
Comparison between self-assessed performance in classroom and in online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic	> 0.05	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.	< 0.05^* * statistically significant.
Coefficient (r)		0.209	0.203	0.132	0.129
Correlation level		very weak	very weak	very weak	very weak

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[1] Corresponding Author: Ricardo Barbosa Lima. E-mail: ricardobarbosalima@usp.br