Educational process involves obtaining information by students. It mainly arrives via the organ of vision and creates high visual load due to a higher intensity of the educational process and use of modern information and communication technologies resulting in visual impairment even in junior schoolchildren [1–3].

Long-term static stress causes disorders of the locomotor apparatus, blood supply of organs and tissues in a growing body. It also leads to cognitive and psychological fatigue reducing the working capacity of the student [4–7].

Hygienists developed and implemented in practice measures of prevention of school-associated disorders, carried out control over conditions of education, organization of educational process, pattern and type of nutrition, motor activity of students, etc. [8–17]. At the same time, morbidity of students is still high and requires additional measures of prevention [18–23].

One of the ways to enhance effectiveness of health-saving activity within an educational institution is represented by sanitary and educational work of a pedagogical team as to leading a healthy lifestyle, creating conditions at an educational institution to implement health-saving principles and formation of motivation for this activity [24–26].

Purpose of this research is to examine awareness of the teachers during 20-year-long observation of dynamics while obtaining hygienic education on the issues of schoolchildren health protection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research was done in dynamics on the basis of Dolgoprudny Gymnasium (previously known as Gymnasium No. 12) in 2000– 2021. In 2000, 36 teachers were interviewed. For 20 years the teachers have been provided hygienic education regarding health protection of schoolchildren as part of the functioning of the testing site on the basis of the Gymnasium. In 2021, 50 gymnasium teachers had an online questioning; 36 of them were interviewed using an adapted standardized questionnaire.

The conducted research posed no danger to its participants, corresponded to the requirements of biomedical ethics and provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki and required voluntary informed consent. Inclusion criteria were as follows: a teacher working at the Gymnasium, time interval of the examination, correctly completed questionnaire, availability of voluntary informed consent. Exclusion criteria included another professional group and place of employment, another time interval of the examination, lack of correctly completed questionnaire, no voluntary informed consent. The conducted research was approved by the Ethics Committee of Pirogov Russian National Research University (protocol No. 159 as of November 21, 2016). The obtained data were processed using Statistica 13 PL (StatSoft, USA) with the significance level of p ≤ 0,05. One sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was utilized to estimate a normal distribution of parameters.

RESULTS

Adequate estimation of schoolchildren health preservation by teachers, their high awareness on a set of measures that enhance health of schoolchildren, regular assessment and correction of teachers’ knowledge about the factors influencing health of children and adolescents and measures preventing health disorder are essential for effectiveness of schoolchildren health prevention and protection programs.

In 2000, only 5.6% of the Gymnasium teachers subjectively assessed health of students as ‘bad’ [27], whereas in 2021, the assessments increased sixfold (32.5%, p ≤ 0.05).

The questioning held in 2000 showed that the teachers had not enough knowledge of hygienic rationality of teaching and educational activity organization. For 5-day academic week, awareness of academic limit load was displayed by every 9^th (11.1%) teacher of first classes and every 6^th (16.7%) teacher of fifth-ninth classes only.

The teachers didn’t take into account physiological curves of weekly and daily working capacity of students, necessity to switch from one activity to others during lessons, and alternating working postures. Though insignificant motor activity was related to the most significant unfavorable factor influencing health of students, only one-third of teachers (27.8%) paid attention to improved effectiveness of physical culture lessons and use of minor forms of physical activity during an academic day as principal forms of improving motor activities among students. More than a half (77.8%) of these teachers failed to find signs of fatigue in students, every fifth (22.2%) teacher was not aware of the principles that prevent fatigue among students [27].

In 2021, the majority (90.0%) of teachers demonstrated their awareness on these issues.

The year of 2000 was marked by a low level of awareness of vision disorders among the Gymnasium teachers and measures of their prevention. Only every fourth (27.8%) teacher indicated that insufficient level of workplace illumination belonged to the factor of vision disturbance; only one third (38.9%) of teachers were aware of seating arrangement principles of students with vision disturbances [27].

In 2021, the majority (84.8%) of teachers arranged rest breaks while working with electronic devices, and every second (46.9%) teacher made a rest break in accordance with hygienic principles of vision protection (for 1 hour every 30 minutes). While working with electronic devices in a dark premise, the majority (87.1%) of teachers estimated the potential danger of low illumination for vision and limited screen time. Every fifth (8.8%) teacher refrained from work which was consistent with hygienic principles of vision protection. 79.5% teachers used gadgets in an organized working area [28].

A study of teachers’ attitude to their health has shown that in 2000, every third teacher did exercises and followed the diet (33.3%), was engaged in running, tourism and another kind of sport (38.9%); the schedule of work and rest was followed by every ninth only (11.1%); one third (33.3%) of teachers mentioned a lack of measures to promote their health [27].

In 2021, while answering a question about own health promotion, the majority (74.0%) of teachers mentioned ‘the lack of bad habits’, every second (42.6%) monitored the diet and was engaged in running, tourism and another kind of sport (45.5%); every third (32.8%) followed the schedule of work and rest. Every tenth (10.2%) teacher also noted a lack of measures to promote own health [28].

In 2000, the overall majority (100%) of interviewed teachers mentioned that preventive work with schoolchildren explaining the effect of harmful factors on health and work on building commitment to a healthy lifestyle should be initiated in primary school. Meanwhile, in 2021, 85.0% of teachers believed that a healthy lifestyle should be encouraged from the preschool age.

According to the opinion of the majority (over 70.0%) of teachers, preventive educational work related to promotion of a healthy life-style among schoolchildren both in 2000 and 2021 should be done within the framework of educational programs in biology, physical culture, and basics of life safety. In 2021, almost every third (over 40.0%) teacher mentioned the necessity of additional sanitary end educational work (lectures, conversations, areas of health, etc.) not directly associated with an educational program.

Data obtained during the questioning formed the basis for planning, carrying out and correction of preventive work with teachers and their hygienic education. The teachers were given lectures on the principles of a healthy lifestyle, risk factors of health problems that arise during education as well, and preventive measures. The teachers who participated in interdisciplinary thematic conferences and round tables were regularly informed via the site of an educational organization. The main topics covered during the educational activity were as follows:

• hygiene of the educational process;
• features of education of children with deviations in health status;
• prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and diseases of the organ of vision;
• peculiarities of organizing the conditions and mode of working with electronic devices;
• preventive measures of health disturbance among schoolchildren during their education and vacations;
• the role of motor activity while supporting students’ health;
• a healthy way of life is a guarantee of health for the future generation.

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

The obtained results indicate at an increasing number of teachers informed of factors posing risk to health, required measures of prevention, and principles of a healthy way of life. A number of teachers who did not take measures to promote their health dropped from 33.3% in 2000 to 10.2% in 2021. This became possible owing to the sanitary end educational work carried out from 2000 to 2021.

A limited number of works on hygienic education of different categories of population has been published until now. In the end of XX and beginning of the XXI century a team of hygienists working under guidance of Sukharev AG made a great contribution to this prevention acting through an educational institution [29].

Change in the living conditions, forms and methods of education, conditions and schedules of work and rest makes it necessary to search for the most effective and currently available forms of increased awareness of teachers. Implementation of this preventive form requires expansion of possibilities to implement it under conditions of educational organization, establishing more extensive relations and interaction with specialists on hygienic education. This will produce a positive effect on the organization of an educational process and ensure formation of knowledge, habits and skills of a healthy lifestyle among students [25].

CONCLUSIONS

Examining awareness by the Gymnasium teachers of school-associated risk factors of students’ health disturbances, measures of its prevention, hygienic principles of vision protection and associated fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle, regular assessment of effectiveness of the conducted preventive work, correction of hygienic educational programs within the last 20 years improved awareness of teachers on the issues of health preservation, changed their attitude towards health-saving forms of education, developed skills of observing the principles of vision protection and leading a healthy lifestyle. The obtained results allow to recommend replication of the experience in organizations of general education, and determine a need in searching the most effective and accessible forms of teachers’ improved awareness.