Assessment of behavior-related pain in school teachers during emergency remote teaching: cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

In the teacher’s professional practice, there is a high level of stress, anxiety and incidence of pain. With the advent of COVID-19 and the emergence of remote teaching, it is possible that this scenario has been aggravated. The objective of this study was to evaluate chronic pain, central sensitization and pain catastrophizing among primary education teachers during remote teaching offered due to the pandemic.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional analytical observational study. Participants were 200 teachers from different regions of Brazil who responded through an online form a sociodemographic questionnaire and a questionnaire about their working conditions. In addition, pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Pain Scale (VAS), central sensitization state was assessed using the Central Sensitization Questionnaire (CSI), and pain catastrophizing was assessed using the Catastrophic Thinking Scale about Pain (PCS).

RESULTS:

Most of the teachers were female, white, from the southeast region, with lato sensu specialization, had an income of 2 to 2.5 minimum wages, working 21 to 40 hours a week. Most of the teachers reported pain intensity equal to eight and the body region most affected was the lumbar spine. It was observed that teachers with low salary, uncomfortable environment and longer days dedicated to remote teaching showed a greater tendency to central sensitization and pain catastrophizing. Most teachers reported pain intensity equal to eight and the most affected body region was the lumbar spine. Teachers with uncomfortable furniture reported increased pain, especially in the lumbar spine and neck. They also showed higher levels of central sensitization to pain, inversely proportional to their salary income and, in sum, teachers with a greater feeling of discomfort catastrophized more which reflects the physical and emotional damage that pain can cause.

CONCLUSION:

Remote teaching during the pandemic of COVID-19 impacted physical and emotional changes in teachers of primary education. The professionals perceived that their furniture was not the most adequate for the high amount of time they had to work on academic activities using computers (in general, over 40 hours a week), they reported increased pain, especially in the lumbar spine and neck, they presented higher levels of central pain sensitization, which was influenced by low salary income, and, in sum, teachers with higher feelings of discomfort catastrophized more, which reflects the physical and emotional damage that pain may cause. All these affections tend to reduce the teachers’ quality of life and, consequently, affect the teaching and learning processes.

Keywords:
Catastrophization; Central nervous system sensitization; Chronic pain; COVID-19; Pandemics; School teachers

HIGHLIGHTS

Lower back pain was reported by teachers as the most frequent during remote teaching.

Time superior than eight hours in front of the computer influences pain sensitivity.

Higher salary income is associated with lower pain sensitization