Análise comparativa da influência do tempo de tela sobre o sono de professores antes e durante a pandemia da covid-19 no Brasil

Abstract

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) characterized COVID-19 (the disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2) as a pandemic. Due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus, in-person education was suspended, and Emergency Remote Teaching was authorized by the Ministry of Education. Educators and students across Brazil had to adapt to the new reality of teaching through digital means, resulting in immediate impacts such as extended working hours and excessive screen time. The implementation of remote work could be characterized as one of the causal factors for poor sleep quality among educators, especially if screen usage occurs close to bedtime, disrupting the circadian rhythm of the sleep-wake cycle, due to the presence of artificial blue light, which consequently inhibits or reduces the synthesis of the hormone melatonin, important for initiating sleep and its duration during the dark phase. AIM: This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of the influence of screen time on the sleep quality of teachers before and during the COVID- 19 pandemic in Brazil. This is an observational, cross-sectional sampling study where volunteers responded to a semi-structured online questionnaire about demographic data, screen time, and sleep habits before and during the pandemic. The assessment of screen time was conducted using the one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical test, and for the correlation between screen time and sleep, the Pearson Correlation test was performed. A total of 688 teachers from across Brazil participated in this study. The screen time of educators significantly increased during the pandemic, with pre-pandemic screen time recorded at (6.94±3.19 hours) and post-pandemic at (10.44±3.54 hours). There was no correlation between screen time before and during the pandemic with hours of sleep. Correlation for screen time before, females (r 0.03873), males (r -0.08973); correlation for screen time after, females (r -0.1351), males (r -0.1676). Similarly, there was no demonstrated correlation between BMI, height, weight, and the groups of female and male teachers. Thus, it can be concluded that although no correlation was observed between screen time and sleep, the increased screen time may influence a negative perception of sleep quality.