QUALIDADE DE VIDA: PERCEPÇÃO DOS DOCENTES DA REDE FEDERAL DE EDUCAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL, CIENTÍFICA E TECNOLÓGICA

Abstract

The health of workers in general, and specifically that of teachers in the Federal Network of Technical and Technological Education, was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies have sought to diagnose the extent of the consequences of social isolation and remote work on the world of work. The objective of this research was to evaluate the perception of Federal Network teachers regarding their quality of life at work. This was a cross-sectional epidemiological study, encompassing the 46,688 basic, technical, and technological education teachers belonging to the Federal Education Network of Brazil. A case study was conducted, consisting of a field survey using previously validated questionnaires, such as the WHOQOL-bref (World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire), the DASS-21 (a tool to help individuals identify their general mood state), the IPAQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), some questions from the National School Health Survey (PENSE), as well as sociodemographic questions that allowed for the proper characterization of the research participants. The participants' habits during the pandemic were also evaluated, particularly regarding alcohol consumption, tobacco use, consumption of ultra-processed foods, sleep quality, voice-related issues, and body perception. The collected data were analyzed to estimate prevalence ratios. The study revealed that men had a higher perception of quality of life (QoL) than women in the physical and psychological domains (p=0.000 in both). Older teachers reported better QoL in the psychological domain (p=0.000), while younger teachers highlighted better conditions in the physical domain. In the environmental domain, teachers with higher academic qualifications reported better QoL (p=0.005). During the pandemic, teachers who worked from home and received institutional support had better QoL in all domains (p=0.000). Those who felt supported by their institutions also reported better QoL in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains (p=0.000) and social domain (p=0.005), as well as those who were provided with conditions to work from home (p=0.000 in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains; p=0.003 in the social domain). Additionally, teachers who spent less than 2 hours daily on the computer showed better QoL in the psychological domain (p=0.003). As part of the study, an educational product was developed to serve as a guide for preventing health issues among teachers. From the results of this research, institutional policies also emerged that contributed to improving the quality of life at work for the study participants, as managers gained a clear picture of what Federal Network teachers thought about their quality of life at work.