Adult Education: A Sustainable Model for the Reduction of Psychosocial and Educational Risks Caused by COVID-19

: Education for health and sustainability has to be understood from a new perspective beyond the traditional conceptual limits. Thus, following the lines of the 2030 sustainable development goals, we examine how permanent education and adult education can become a fundamental element for the achievement of said objectives, serving as a neutraliser of psychosocial risk factors. In other words, a quality education throughout life becomes a dynamic factor for the development of lifestyle habits and healthy aging, purposes that during the pandemic and the state of alarm have been altered by conﬁnement, closure of educational centres, and methodological changes. The objective of the study is to analyse whether the maintenance of educational activity has inﬂuenced the psychological state of people, reducing, neutralising, or increasing the psychosocial risk factors linked to conﬁnement and the evolution of COVID-19. For this, an observational study was developed, taking as a case the Universidad Popular Dos Hermanas (Seville, Spain), with a sample of 384 learners over the age of 16 years. The variables considered were sociodemographic means and technical tools, assessment of the institution, teacher assessment, and psychosocial variables related to possible effects caused by the context. The data were collected through a self-developed questionnaire. Descriptive analyses and bivariate correlations were carried out. Methodological diversity and positive correlations were shown in terms of the institution’s function, teaching assessment, maintenance of activity, and reduction of psychopathological risks.


Introduction
The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) [1] has posed an unprecedented global threat and alarm [2,3] to public health [4], where the way in which the virus is transmitted [5] has transformed the way we live in many aspects, thereby producing profound social, economic, and educational changes on a large scale that impact all population groups. Not surprisingly, among the effects of world globalisation, it stands out that economic, social, and health crises are no longer limited to one country, but have been spreading, more or less rapidly, to many other countries [6]. For example, Spain was confined in March 2020, closing for months all non-essential activity; within these closures were all formal and non-formal educational centres at all levels, active participation, associative and cultural movements, etc. [7].
The state of alarm was decreed to stop the expansion of coronavirus [3,[8][9][10][11] and reduce the health emergency that was currently taking place in the country. With the publication of Royal Decree 463/2020, on 14 March 2020 [6], associated with the state of alarm, a state of confinement-of a quarantine nature-was imposed, from 14 March to 3 May 2020. It was mandatory for the entire Spanish territory, which meant social distancing, isolation at home, drastic limitations on the possibility of citizen movement, and suspension Regarding psychosocial risks, understood as potentiating elements and conditioning factors to cause dysfunctions at psychological and physiological levels caused by COVID-19, we examined how different studies have shown an increase in stress, fear, anxiety, and loneliness, especially in old people. These abrupt changes have had a great impact on people's psychosocial risks, enhancing or neutralising them according to social distancing or support [52][53][54][55].
Previous studies have shown the deleterious influence of epidemic-related quarantines on mental health [56], such as adjustment disorders, acute stress [57], high psychosocial stress, and greater psychological impact than normative life events [58]. It should be noted that the mere intolerance of uncertainty as a vulnerability factor could be understood from its transdiagnostic nature [59], with the capacity to influence the aetiology of emotional disorders, and especially anxiety disorders [60,61], which, added to high stress and unpredictable and uncontrollable threats [62], bring with them a set of negative emotions called psychological distress [63][64][65].
Taking into account the evidence on the immediate psychological impact of COVID-19 in the Chinese population as a source of the first studies, we found that 53% valued the psychological impact as moderate to severe, and 16% indicated moderate to severe depressive symptoms, 28% moderate or severe anxiety symptoms, and 8% moderate or severe stress levels [66]. Another study conducted in Wuhan and neighbouring cities found a prevalence of PTSD symptoms in 7% [67] and in 4.6%, extending to another sample from mainland China [68]. Likewise, the factors with the highest incidence on the psychological, physical, and quality of life are the feeling of frustration, boredom [56], loss of habits and routines, psychosocial stress [66], in addition to the fear of virus infection [56] or the presence of previous mental health problems or financial problems [69]-arguments that directly correlate with those evidenced in studies on the Spanish population [70].
That is to say, we are facing different factors of psychological effects, those whose aetiopathology is directly related to the context of COVID-19, such as emotional or behavioural alterations affected by high family stress [71] and those whose origin is given by the context and confinement-that is to say, preoccupation, fear of contagion from oneself or from family members, fear or pessimism regarding the future, feeling of high vulnerability, discomfort in the face of uncertainty, etc. [71].
Based on the above, our research deals with how adult education and permanent education in the non-formal sphere can influence the reduction or increase in the risks and psychological and psychosocial effects caused by the effects of COVID-19 and the contextual situation caused by the pandemic in centres that have maintained their activity electronically.

Materials and Methods
The objective of the research is to know the effect that the role of the institution, the teaching work, and the means used during confinement caused by COVID-19 produces on the students of the Universidad Popular de Dos Hermanas (Seville, Spain), as well as their impact on the reduction of psychosocial risks whose aetiology comes from the pandemic, social isolation, and the measures imposed by the government. For this purpose, the following specific objectives are obtained: -Show the use, creation, and distribution of technological resources by teachers so that they are in line with the objectives, students, and teaching/learning style brought about in the context of the pandemic. Elucidate whether the starting hypotheses, which are described below, are fulfilled.
The hypotheses of the study, in relation to the objectives, are the following: The maintenance and continuity of educational activity in adults (a) reduce psychosocial risk factors and negative emotions and (b) promote the feeling of belonging to a group and support in times of confinement, neutralising the feeling caused by social distance; (c) the role of teachers reduces the psychosocial risks associated with the pandemic; and (d) the use of technological tools and the methodological change favours connectivity and the reduction of stressors.
The information gathering method was completed directly online by means of a selfelaborated questionnaire, through the Google Forms platform, given its storage capacity. However, for the subsequent processing and analysis of the data, all the information in the database was entered into the statistical program SPSS, version 24 [72].
The questionnaire explained the objective of the investigation, specifying that the answers would be anonymous. Of the 1356 people enrolled in the academic year 2019-2020 in five training areas, a total of 384 sent the questionnaire satisfactorily, the sample having a confidence level of 95%. Thus, the sample consisted of 384 people aged over 16 years representing, proportionally, the target audience of the institution, following quotas of sex, age, experience in the university, areas of knowledge, and origin of the students, in order to maintain coherence with the reality of the centre itself.
The questionnaire consists of a total of 30 items, in which the first 8 items collect descriptive information about the study (sex, age, area studied, year, assessment, etc.). The rest of the elements are grouped into three large blocks and collected using a Likert scale [73] with a minimum score of 1 and a maximum of 4. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed by a group of researchers and experts in the field. Half in pairs, they evaluated each of the items and the coherence and internal consistency of the tool. On the other hand, to study the reliability of the tool, Cronbach's alpha coefficient [74] was used, with a value of 0.946. Following the general recommendation of George and Mallery [75], it can be concluded that the tool used is very suitable for the study, and therefore, the items measure the same construct and are highly correlated.

Results
For the elucidation of data in line with the proposed objectives, descriptive analyses were carried out to find out the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants and the tools used to monitor the classes. Within these descriptive analyses, the frequency and accumulated percentages were verified, as well as the crossing of tables with the chi-square test [76] to clarify possible relationships between the variables. The reliability of the internal consistency of the study factors was calculated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The bivariate associations between variables were calculated using Spearman's rho correlation coefficient, since it was a non-parametric sample [77], after applying the Kolmogórov-Smirnov goodness-of-fit test [78] and showing that the scores did not follow a normal distribution.
The sample consisted of 27.1% men and 72.9% women, with the oldest age range being 45-54 years in the case of women and 55-64 years in the case of men. The knowledge areas where they were enrolled were different, with an SD of 1069: 53.4% were enrolled in the language area, 20.6% in the artistic area, 18.8% in the occupational area, 4.2% in the educational area, and 3.1% in the digital area, whereas 63% of the people had previously taken some other course.
According to objective 1, following the frequency tables, a combination of tools was observed. In other words, the use of one or the other does not imply the exclusion of the other, but rather the use of several seems to be the general trend for the support and course of the activity. In this section, we highlight that the most used tools were the telephone, with 97.9% (SD 0.429), and WhatsApp, with 92.4% (SD 0.679). At the intermediate points, we find Zoom with 56.3% (SD 1.121) and Jitsi with 46.1% (SD 0.888), while the least used was Skype, with 5.2% (SD 0.616).
Regarding objective 2, analysing the frequency tables, it is observed, with an SD of 0.550, that the majority of the students are very satisfied with the centre, with 17.4% showing considerable satisfaction and 77.9% full satisfaction. The data are identical to those for teacher evaluation. In relation to teaching, the percentages are consistent with the previous one. On the other hand, to show the students' perception of the institution during confinement, we observed through the study that 31% value the learning opportunity it offers, 21.4% say that it has served them as support and help, 12.5% review the importance of the socio-educational function, 10.9% and 10.4% refer to the ability to adapt to the crisis situation and quality, respectively, while-in the lowest value-3.1 % provide little information (with an SD of 2173).
In relation to teaching work, with an SD of 1646, 36.5% highlight the professionalism and vocation of the teaching staff, followed by 18.2% who refer to the dedication shown; 16.1% highlight the availability of the teaching staff, 13.3% their ability to adapt, and 12.8% human quality, compared to 3.1%, who consider the possibility of improving teaching skills.
With attention to objectives 3 and 4, to clarify the subsequent analysis of the correlations extracted, taking into account the categorization of the values assigned to each item related to psychosocial risks-nothing (1), little (2), quite (3), and a lot (4)-we group blocks 1-2 on the one hand and 3-4 on the other to synthesise the vision of frequencies. In all the items, we find a valid frequency and percentage greater than 90. However, it is observed that in relation to concentration, greater time spent on the maintenance of positive thoughts during confinement is below the rest.
Regarding the objective of knowing whether the maintenance of an activity by an institution has a positive or negative influence on the appearance of psychosocial risks linked to the pandemic (Table 1), a non-parametric study was carried out to correlate the maintenance of an activity and the appearance of psychosocial risks according to Spearman's rho correlation coefficient [77], assessing whether there is a relationship between the degree of satisfaction with the institution during the pandemic and the items that include psychosocial risks and risk factors. In this way, we find a positive correlation with each of them, with a significance of p = 0.001, which implies the rejection of the null hypothesis and therefore the acceptance of such a correlation. Thus, it is observed that the correlation coefficient is closer to 1 in A, D, H, I, K, and L, maintaining the positive correlation at mean levels in B, E, F, J, and M. Finally, when analysing the correlations between the degree of satisfaction with teaching work and other characteristics linked to the role of the teaching staff with the variables related to risk factors and psychosocial risks (Table 2), it is evidenced that in addition to the existence of an exact positive correlation in some cases and with a significance of p = 0.001 in others, the value obtained is closer to 1 as constant compared to the previous analysis.
This shows that the teaching role has a greater capacity for influence than the work of the institution itself. Thus, a positive correlation is observed with each one of them, exact in some cases and with a significance of p = 0.001 in others, which implies the rejection of the null hypothesis and therefore the acceptance of such a correlation. Thus, it is understood that students assign a higher value to the role and skills of the teaching staff and their influence in neutralising the appearance of psychosocial risks, increasing the correlation coefficient with respect to the analysis of the institution with the independent variables of both analyses. To show a graphic summary that allows a general view of the above, the following model is provided in Figure 1.

Discussion
The data from this study show that during the confinement decreed on 14 March 2020 [7], adult education was redirected towards online and flexible learning [17] to try to overcome inequalities and the digital divide [20,21]. However, the lack of generalization of telematic teaching [79] means that the educational community, which includes the education of adults in a non-formal environment, has had to improvise this emergency teaching remotely [28], sometimes continuing its teaching with mobile and WhatsApp, or via email. That is to say, this leap from face-to-face teaching to distance work [80][81][82], to respond to the needs of students without previous experience and without a planned operation [29], translates into dispersion and complementary use of the means and tools and

Discussion
The data from this study show that during the confinement decreed on 14 March 2020 [7], adult education was redirected towards online and flexible learning [17] to try to overcome inequalities and the digital divide [20,21]. However, the lack of generalization of telematic teaching [79] means that the educational community, which includes the education of adults in a non-formal environment, has had to improvise this emergency teaching remotely [28], sometimes continuing its teaching with mobile and WhatsApp, or via email. That is to say, this leap from face-to-face teaching to distance work [80][81][82], to respond to the needs of students without previous experience and without a planned operation [29], translates into dispersion and complementary use of the means and tools and applications that allow the continuity of the activity, such as the telephone, WhatsApp, Jitsi, Zoom, Skype, and email, according to the characteristics and means available to the students and the teachers themselves.
Regarding the appearance, intensification, reduction, or neutralisation of psychosocial risks and possible psychological effects caused by COVID-19, in view of social distancing or support [52][53][54][55], it is evidenced that the maintenance of the teaching-learning activity reduces the feelings that can cause these affectations.
It is shown, following the approach of [83], that the existence of social resources that are not in the person, their access, and the assessment that is made of said support allow us to face difficult situations effectively. Thus, taking into account the students' evaluations about the institution itself, the teaching work, and the positive correlations exposed in the analysis, we can affirm how the need and satisfaction of emotional, material, and informational support that make up social support [84] serve as neutralisers of the psychopathological risks caused by the lived situation [56].
Thus, it is verified that the work of popular education and adult education centres in confinement and pandemic situations has the capacity to reduce factors associated with vulnerability and form part of the actions aimed at reducing their global impact [85], consistent with the commonly used approach to coping with vulnerable situations and risk reduction [86]. Based on the data analysis, the function of the centre during the confinement stage obtains highly significant positive correlations with the reduction of risks and vulnerability, which reduce and neutralise the appearance of psychological problems linked to the context, as has been shown in previous studies [56,66,71]; Likewise, taking into account the total closure of adult education centres and all related activities, the centre is valued as a learning opportunity, an element of support and help, and a benchmark of quality socio-educational function and with the ability to adapt to crisis situations.
On the other hand, it is observed that the function of the institution, and especially of the teaching work, helps reduce vulnerability to risk, improving the resilient capacity of students, understood as the ability strengthen themselves to overcome difficult situations or the adversities present at a given moment [87]. Thus, as the data are collected, the teachers, in addition to helping and encouraging the students to continue, have favoured their learning in this situation, thereby obtaining positive evaluations for their professionalism, vocation, dedication, availability, adaptability, and human quality [88]. Continuing with the role of teachers, the teaching function is a fundamental pillar for the acquisition of knowledge related to the subject, which positively influences all variables related to risks and vulnerability factors, thus enhancing social support, group cohesion, the improvement of resilience as a process of adaptation, management, and negotiation of adversity [89], and, therefore, the reduction of psychopathological risks.
With the above, we can assert that school closure has enforced telematics teaching, but teaching is not only learning [12] but also a facilitator of references; that is to say, educating is knowledge plus behaviour. For this reason, the maintenance of educational activity in the non-formal and adult sphere facilitates the reduction of psychosocial risks while improving the configuration of people with resilience [90] and the creation of protection mechanisms [91]. That is, despite the profound impacts of stress and anxiety on students and entire communities, and on socialization [92], the context caused by COVID-19 has allowed the development of resources and strengths, both individual and collective [93], while opportunities appear, for public and private institutions as well as society in general, to seek new formulas from cooperation to take advantage of these opportunities and provide effective responses to the current situation [94].

Conclusions
This study, carried out during the confinement stage, shows that the continuity of socio-educational activity in the non-formal environment of adult and permanent education has a positive impact on the quality of life of people, neutralising and reducing the risk factors associated with isolation and the social situation caused by the pandemic. On the one hand, it is evident how the emergence of COVID-19 and the measures adopted by the government implied a methodological change from face-to-face to a ubiquitous model, e-learning, without systematising, necessitating the use-in a complementary wayof different tools to adapt to the scenario and fitting the act of teaching-learning into an individualized and personalized model overcoming the digital divide. On the other hand, it makes it possible to elucidate the students' assessment of both the institution and the teaching activity during confinement and the correlation of both assessments with variables related to the reduction of psychosocial risks. That is to say, the study shows how, through educational intervention, people have been able to reduce the risk factors with psychological affectation closely linked to social support, stress, frustration, and self-control, while increasing their resilience.
Thus, the study has allowed the analysis of each of the set of objectives, enabling us to know the sociodemographic profile of the students who participate in this educational modality; show the use, creation, and distribution of technological resources by teachers during the pandemic; evaluate the degree of satisfaction of the students in relation to the centre and the teaching staff in the course of the confinement; and show whether the continuity of the activity by the institution and the role of the teaching staff positively or negatively influence the appearance, neutralisation, and reduction of psychosocial risks linked to the pandemic and the confinement stage.
Regarding the limitations of the study, we can highlight the difficulty in the recollection of data due to the situation caused by COVID-19, which has meant that the tools were available in telematics means and that part of the population belonging to the group under investigation did not have the necessary skills; this, added to the interference, resulted in a decrease in the sample initially proposed. On the other hand, there is no proliferation of previous research in this area of study, both in adult education and in the influence of COVID-19 on the type of variables we investigated.
The importance of this type of study lies in the lack of information and analysis regarding popular, permanent, or adult education, despite the fact that its impact on the development and growth of communities is more than remarkable. In addition, its transferability and the nature of opportunity it presents for future research in relation to measures of adaptation and methodological adequacy, the design of actions, and institutionalisation of adult education in the non-formal environment, allow us to know the real needs of the population that is nurtured and the participates in this educational modality, as well as its impact on the immediate community and society as a whole. On the other hand, it lays the foundation for a comparative study on the current and future situations in relation to both methodological and pedagogical challenges, as well as the functions of and opportunities in permanent education in centres such as popular universities. Likewise, the cross-sectional value of this study as well as the investigated model is of a transcendental character, since it is evidenced as assuming sustainability in a systemic way (Figure 1). This educational field and the measures adopted for the development of the activity have a direct influence on the favourable achievement of the objectives of sustainable development. That is to say, we are faced with a model in which, starting from the goal of quality education, the reduction of inequalities is achieved and gender equality is advocated with an immediate impact on the goal of health and well-being, which promotes the achievement of the rest of the goals set in the 2030 Agenda. Data Availability Statement: Data available on request due to privacy and ethical restrictions. The primary data are contained within the article.

Conflicts of Interest:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.