ABSTRACT

The emergence of the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, has had a major impact on higher education; however, little attention has been paid to how the virus and lockdown measures instituted to stop its spread have affected the health of faculty and staff. This study employed survey methodology to assess the impact of the coronavirus and ensuing quarantine measures in the US on employees at a private institution in the Mid-Atlantic. A total of N = 129 employees answered questions on self-perceptions of their physical and mental health, and results illustrated a wide range of responses. While some employees reported positive changes, a third struggled with physical activity, eating, sleep habits and weight management, and more than half had greater stress, anxiety and mood difficulties. No differences were found among genders or employment type, but employees ages 65 and older reported significantly greater negative mood change and less healthy eating habits. Colleges and universities should be mindful of the challenges that faculty and staff face during the ongoing pandemic and provide resources and support specifically targeting these groups; in particular, programming encouraging and supporting physical activity behaviours may be especially useful for promoting physical and mental health benefits, reducing risk of illness and preventing chronic burnout.

摘要

新型冠状病毒或 Covid-19 的出现对高等教育产生了重大影响；然而，很少有人关注病毒和为阻止其传播而采取的封锁措施如何影响教职员工的健康。这项研究采用调查方法来评估冠状病毒和美国随后采取的隔离措施对大西洋中部一家私人机构员工的影响。一共N个= 129 名员工回答了有关其身心健康的自我认知的问题，结果说明了广泛的回答。虽然一些员工报告了积极的变化，但三分之一的员工在身体活动、饮食、睡眠习惯和体重管理方面遇到了困难，超过一半的员工压力、焦虑和情绪困难更大。性别或就业类型之间没有发现差异，但 65 岁及以上的员工报告的负面情绪变化明显更大，饮食习惯更不健康。高校应注意教职员工在持续的大流行期间面临的挑战，并专门针对这些群体提供资源和支持；特别是，