Hygienic Assessment of Distance Learning in Schools and Gymnasiums of Nizhny Novgorod

Abstract

Introduction: Current school teaching methods including distance learning may have adverse health effects in children. Objective: To assess health effects of online education in students of comprehensive secondary schools and gymnasiums. Materials and methods: We developed a questionnaire to establish the impact of distance learning on the functional state and health of students comprising three sections: educational activities, daily routine and self-rated health. In May 2020, 3,026 fifth to ninth-year students from eight comprehensive schools and five gymnasiums of the city of Nizhny Novgorod, including 1,430 boys and 1,596 girls, filled out the questionnaire and their answers were then analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 5.1. Results: Distance learning included online and offline classes (70.7 % in total) and self-study assignments, the latter being more common in the comprehensive schools than in the gymnasiums. The majority of the respondents from the schools (73.4 %) and gymnasiums (67.0 %) noted a greater amount of homework during e-learning compared to offline education. They also reported less time spent outdoors and much more passive leisure. Complaints of increased back and wrist pain and headaches were more frequent in the students of comprehensive secondary schools. Conclusions: Our findings show that distance learning changed the way of life of all the children surveyed. We observed an increased screen time, the prevalence of static activities, and the development of musculoskeletal and eye disorders. The comprehensive school students noted more negative consequences of online learning compared to their peers studying in the gymnasiums.