Associação entre variações meteorológicas e o presenteísmo entre docentes do ensino superior

Abstract

Work occupies a significant part of the population's daily life, therefore being an important factor in defining the quality of life and health of individuals. In parallel, every individual is subject to weather and climate variations, and this interaction also influences these issues and has important associations with collective health. The phenomenon known as presenteeism-illness (P-D), where a person goes to work while being or feeling sick, has been gaining attention in research since the 1990s. Studies on P-D aim to understand how going to work while being unwell can affect productivity in the company and even worsen the worker's clinical condition. Such outcomes, both in physiology and mental health, may be related to mood changes, affecting the disposition to perform daily tasks. These conditions can be more severe in individuals who are more sensitive to meteorological variations, known as weather-sensitive individuals, or among those who develop pathologies when there is an abrupt change in weather, known as meteoropathies (MTP). This research was conducted in an exploratory manner, with 520 university professors from 19 states and the federal district, with the objective of analyzing the association between meteorological variations and presenteeism in teaching activities. The relationship between the incidence of presenteeism, climate sensitivity, and the participants' sociodemographic profile was also examined, as well as the the association between the level of meteorosensitivity (MTS) and the occurrence of P-D. To achieve the objectives, a questionnaire was used to gather sociodemographic data, health and lifestyle information, and the Stanford Presentism Scale and Meteo-Questionnaire instruments. 460 participants (88.5%) reported having gone to work while ill in the past 12 months, and among them, 292 (56.1%) had a score below 18 on the SPS-6, which is considered low labor quality due to health issues. The overall questionnaire score was 13.3 (SD = 5.5), Avoided Distraction 6.7 (SD = 3.6), and Completed Work 9.3 (SD = 3.8). In general, the sample shows a decrease in performance in their work activities due to health problems. The most prevalent health problems related to presenteeism in the sample were: allergies, musculoskeletal pain, and excessive stress. There were 151 individuals (f = 29%) with high weather sensitivity, and 85 (f = 16.3%) showed indications of meteoropathies. For males, the average score for questions about weather sensitivity was 7 4.5 (SD = 3.3) and the average score for meteoropathies was 4.4 (SD = 3.5). For females, the average score for weather sensitivity was 6.2 (SD = 3.4), and the average score for indications of meteoropathies was 6.4 (SD = 3.1). The most common symptoms related to meteorological variations include: excessive appetite, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, headaches, excessive drowsiness, irritability, nervousness, and general aches and pains. To analyze the association between meteorological variations and presenteeism, the technique of unconditional multiple logistic regression was employed. The first, more adjusted multiple model for the variable of P-D occurrence contains the following explanatory variables: Weather sensitivity (OR = 1.27), Absenteeism (OR = 3.59), physical activity (OR = 0.44) and being employed in a private institution (OR = 0.52). The second, more adjusted multiple model contains the explanatory variables: Weather sensitivity (OR = 1.25), Absenteeism (OR = 3.23), Gender (OR = 1.88), physical activity (OR = 0.44). The results indicate how sensitivity to meteorological variations can affect the population's health, showing that increased levels of MTS are associated with an increase in P-D.