COVID-19 Pandemic Exacerbates Stress on Teachers' Health Behaviors

A recent study published in Frontiers in Public Health examined the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on teachers' health behaviors, specifically cigarette smoking and physical activity. The nationwide online survey conducted in Germany in March 2021 involved 31,089 participants and found that 13.9% of teachers reported smoking cigarettes, while 76.6% did not meet the physical activity recommendations.

Key Takeaways:

• The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic significantly impacted professional and private lives, influencing social and health-related behavior, particularly among teachers.
• Prior to the pandemic, teachers already faced physical and psychological stressors that were exacerbated by the pandemic, potentially leading to a deterioration in their health behaviors.
• The study found 16 significant predictors of cigarette smoking and six significant predictors of physical inactivity among teachers during the pandemic.
• The regression analyses revealed that the predictors identified in the study can help target interventions for teachers who are at higher risk for unhealthy behaviors during the pandemic and potential future pandemics.
• The study highlighted the alarming finding that more than three-quarters of teachers were physically inactive during the pandemic, emphasizing the need for improving physical activity.
• The research identified sociodemographic, workplace-related, psychological, SARS-CoV-2-related, and health-related factors as predictors of teachers' cigarette smoking and physical inactivity during the pandemic.

Statistics:

• 31,089: Number of teachers who participated in the nationwide online survey in Germany in March 2021.
• 13.9%: Proportion of teachers who reported smoking cigarettes.
• 76.6%: Proportion of teachers who did not meet the physical activity recommendations.
• 16: Number of significant predictors of cigarette smoking identified in the study.
• 6: Number of significant predictors of physical inactivity identified in the study.

Sources:

• Frontiers in Public Health. Predictors of cigarette smoking and physical inactivity among teachers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany: a cross-sectional analysis of a nationwide online survey. (2025;13:1458314).
• Psychology & Psychiatry Journal. University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Reports Findings in COVID-19 (Predictors of cigarette smoking and physical inactivity among teachers during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany: a cross-sectional analysis of a ...). (May 31, 2025; p 8).