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Special Issue Editors

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Guest Editor

Department of Humanization in Medicine and Sexology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Gora, 65-726 Zielona Gora, Poland
Interests: adolescent health; health disparities and socioeconomic status; health & place; psychosocial determinants of health; health literacy; risk behaviour; physical activity and school health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Dorota Kleszczewska

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Guest Editor

Institute of Mother and Child Foundation, 01-211 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: adolescents’ well-being; health literacy; youth engagement; school stress; neighborhood; physical activity

Dr. Maria Lukaszek

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Guest Editor

Department of Resocialisation Pedagogy, Institute of Pedagogy, University of Rzeszow, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland
Interests: sexuality in the context of social maladjustment; risky sexual behaviours (sexual violence; participation in sex work; early sexual activity; sexual behaviours under the influence of psychoactive substances); attitudes towards HIV/AIDS; sexual crime; partners' relations in intimate relationships; ethics of social research in the field of human sexuality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the COVID-19 pandemic, risk factors for the deterioration of physical and mental health associated with financial insecurity, unemployment and anxiety increased. At the same time, protective factors such as health-promoting lifestyles, social bonds, stable employment, educational engagement, and access to health services decreased. Many research centres have initiated surveys covering the general population, selected demographic subpopulations, and occupational groups that have been identified in relation to their infection risk or hampered living or working conditions. It is assumed that the pandemic period may have exacerbated health inequalities, with certain groups being more vulnerable to both its short- and long-term effects.

New research papers, as well as scoping or systematic reviews, are invited for submission to this Special Issue. Results from longitudinal, cross-sectional, or repeated cross-sectional studies are also welcome. There are no restrictions as to the main health outcome or studied population. The only inclusion criterion is to take into account some aspect of health inequality, and consider the new challenges that may have arisen during or after the pandemic period, for example, studies might discuss differences related to region, gender, age, or staying in close relationships in relation to living, working, or educational conditions.

Prof. Dr. Joanna Mazur
Dr. Dorota Kleszczewska
Dr. Maria Lukaszek
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

COVID-19
educational inequalities
health inequalities
intersectionality
social epidemiology
vulnerable groups
working conditions

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Ergonomics of E-Learning Workstations and the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders—Study among University Students

Magdalena Janc

Zbigniew Jozwiak

Agnieszka Jankowska

Teresa Makowiec-Dabrowska

Jolanta Kujawa

and

Kinga Polanska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3309; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043309 - 14 Feb 2023

Viewed by 553

Abstract

The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) has increased significantly in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a fundamental change in the lifestyles, ways of learning and working patterns of the general population, which in turn, might lead to health consequences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the conditions of e-learning and the impact of the learning modality on the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms among university students in Poland. This cross-sectional study included 914 students who completed an anonymous questionnaire. The questions covered two time periods (before and during the COVID-19 pandemic) and were aimed at obtaining information about lifestyle (including physical activity using the modified International Physical Activity Questionnaire, 2007 (IPAQ), perceived stress and sleep patterns), the ergonomics of computer workstations (by Rapid Office Strain Assessment, 2012 (ROSA) method), the incidence and severity of musculoskeletal symptoms (by the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, 2018 (NMQ)) and headaches. The main differences between the two periods were statistically significant according to the Wilcoxon test in terms of physical activity, computer use time, and severity of headaches. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in MSD (68.2% vs. 74.6%) and their intensity (2.83 ± 2.36 vs. 3.50 ± 2.79 points) among the student population (p < 0.001). In the group of students with MSD, there was a high musculoskeletal load, due to the lack of ergonomic remote learning workstations. In future, a thorough study should be carried out, and there is an urgent need to raise students’ awareness of arranging learning workstations according to ergonomic principles in order to prevent the occurrence of musculoskeletal problems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges for Health Inequalities Research during COVID-19 Pandemic)

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Figure 1

Open AccessArticle

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2988; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042988 - 08 Feb 2023

Viewed by 407

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which relationship quality affects variability in perceived stress and other emotional difficulties associated with the pandemic. The study was conducted 2–17 March 2022 using a self-administered online survey. The sample size consisted of 1405 individuals who were in a romantic relationship. The scales used in the study included the PSS-4, ECR-RS, SLS-12 and the standardized Pandemic-ED scale (RMSEA = 0.032). Increased stress levels (U = −5.741), pandemic-related emotional difficulties (U = −8.720), worse romantic relationship quality (U = −2.564) and more frequent anxiety-related attachment (U = −3.371) were characteristic of women. A hierarchical regression model for stress showed that age (b = −0.143), financial situation (b = 0.024), the ECR-RS scores (b = 0.219) and pandemic-related emotional difficulties (b = 0.358) proved to be statistically significant predictors of stress. The hierarchical regression model for pandemic-related emotional difficulties indicated five predictors: gender (b = 0.166), education (b = 0.071), financial situation (b = 0.203), scores on the ECR-RS scale (b = 0.048) and stress (b = 0.367). The SEM model used has satisfactory fit indices (RMSEA = 0.051), romantic relationship quality scores and attachment styles interact with the variability of perceived pandemic-related stress and burdens. The determined model offers conclusions relevant to clinicians working with individuals and couples during periods of intense stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges for Health Inequalities Research during COVID-19 Pandemic)

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