The levels of physical activity and fatigue among teachers in Poland and the United Kingdom in the first year after the COVID-19 pandemic

• Authors: Anna Zalewska , Monika Gałczyk , Marek Sobolewski

Abstracts

EN

Background The COVID-19 disease has a negative impact on the psychophysiological health of populations worldwide, including a decrease in overall physical performance and an increase in fatigue. Fatigue was one of the main symptoms reported by patients and persisted for several weeks after infection with COVID-19. Although the phenomenon of fatigue is still poorly understood, physical activity can be a supportive factor in combating feelings of fatigue and lack of energy. The purpose of this research was to assess the physical activity (PA) and fatigue levels of teachers in Poland and the United Kingdom in the first year after the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods The online research was carried out among 410 teachers from Poland and the United Kingdom. The PA level was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The level of fatigue was measured using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Results Polish teachers, regardless of sex, are more physically active (the differences relate mainly to walking and moderate activity). When assessing the level of fatigue, there is a significant difference between men and women – the former indicate a higher degree of fatigue, with the difference between the sexes being particularly large in the Polish community. Quite clearly, there is an association between less activity (except walking) and more fatigue. All models show a statistically significant effect of total fatigue on total effort. Physical activity is not very strongly correlated with age but the level of fatigue increases with age. Conclusions The problem of teacher fatigue is unfortunately widespread. They should be encouraged to engage in as much PA as possible during the day. When planning and targeting fatigue reduction campaigns, PA should be encouraged and variables such as age, sex should be taken into account.

Keywords

EN

Poland; fatigue; exercise; public health; physical exertion; United Kingdom

• Publisher: Instytut Medycyny Pracy im. prof. dra Jerzego Nofera w Łodzi
• Journal: Medycyna Pracy
• Year: 2024
• Volume: 75
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 103-112

Dates

published

2024

Contributors

author

Anna Zalewska

• University of Lomza, Łomża, Poland (Faculty of Health Sciences)

author

Monika Gałczyk

• University of Lomza, Łomża, Poland (Faculty of Health Sciences)

author

Marek Sobolewski

• Rzeszow University of Technology, Rzeszów, Poland (Plant of Quantitative Methods)

Identifiers

DOI

10.13075/mp.5893.01488

Biblioteka Nauki

31340286