SCOPING REVIEW

Repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on university health: A scoping review protocol

Magda Guimarães de Araujo Faria1, Christiane Gleyce da Silva Freitas Venancio1, Fádia Carvalho Pacheco2, Gabriel Santos da Silva1, Beatriz Marques da Silva Kind1, Virginia Luiza Ponte Cruz Cardoso1, Genes de Lima Martins Neto1, Fabiana Ferreira Koopmans1

1 Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

2Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Objective: We aim to outline a scoping review protocol on the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health of university faculty and students. Method: This scoping review protocol will be conducted according to the methods proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. We defined the review question based on the PCC (Population, Concept, Context) mnemonic: “What are the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health of university faculty and students?”. Eligibility criteria are associated with publications available in full text, covering methodological approaches including qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, reflections, editorials, guidelines, manuals, and policies published between 2020 and 2023. The searches will be conducted in the databases Embase, MEDLINE via PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Portal de Periódicos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, and LILACS. The data will be presented descriptively using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) flowchart and subsequently presented in a synoptic table.

Descriptors: Universities; Health Promotion; COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION

At the end of 2019, in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the first case of a new type of coronavirus was identified, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as COVID-19. The rapid global spread of the virus led the WHO to declare a pandemic in March 2020(1). In the initial absence of a vaccine to combat the high transmissibility, alternative measures were implemented, such as biosafety strategies and social isolation(2).

In this context, university education had to undergo adaptations to be continuously offered, and emergency remote teaching was the strategy used to maintain activities(3). The abrupt transition and the lack of pedagogical and technical training were the main characteristics of this period, requiring faculty and students to quickly adapt to the use of new technologies without training or equipment provided by the institutions(4).

The modification of the academic work process was accompanied by lifestyle changes shared by the entire population. These changes include the reduction or absence of physical exercise and even physical activity, increased screen time (whether on the computer, television, or personal cell phone), increased consumption of ultra-processed foods such as snacks, fast foods, and sugary foods, and changes in alcohol consumption(5). The health damages caused by these deleterious behaviors catalyzed by the restrictions imposed by the pandemic have yet to be fully quantified.

It is also worth noting the absence of public policies aimed at minimizing or repairing the consequences of the emergency measures during the pandemic. However, the vulnerability of the academic community is evident, as observed in studies on the subject. The first issue related to this vulnerability is the loss of learning, where low academic progress has already been identified in elementary education with emergency remote teaching. This loss is more noticeable among students from low-income families(6).

Nevertheless, the second issue related to the vulnerability of the academic population is the impact on health, particularly mental health(7). It was observed among French students that symptoms of anxiety and depression increased even during periods when social isolation was lifted(8). In the United States, nearly 42% of students reported feeling sadness and hopelessness since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, while 9% of participants admitted to suicidal behavior during the same period(9).

Parallel to this, it is evident that university faculty also suffer similar consequences, exacerbated by stress factors that were already observed in the pre-pandemic period, such as productivity pressure, which is intrinsically associated with increased stress levels(10). In this context, a study conducted in Japan observed that 33% of university faculty were at risk of emotional distress and developing mental disorders(11), while a systematic review study found that illness may be more associated with pre-existing conditions(12).

It is observed that health in the university setting was severely impacted by a new lifestyle and the sudden onset of a new work process. During this pandemic period, numerous primary studies on the topic were published. However, there is a lack of systematic evidence regarding the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health of university students and faculty. In this sense, a preliminary search on MEDLINE was conducted to assess the thematic relevance, and the results indicated the feasibility of proceeding with this scoping review.

Considering this, the objective of this study is to map the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health of university faculty and students.

During the registration of this protocol, a search for similar protocols was conducted on Open Science Framework (OSF). As of mid-May 2023, no similar studies were registered. It is also worth noting that various research protocols on the topic are registered on PROSPERO®; however, they differ from the presented investigation by associating the health condition of the academic community with variables such as vaccination and the use of medications and alternative therapies for individuals infected with Covid-19. In this sense, the proposal to study the phenomenon of the pandemic and its repercussions on the health of university faculty and students is unprecedented.

METHOD

The proposed scoping review will be conducted according to the principles established by the methods proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI)(13) for scoping reviews. The data will be presented descriptively to systematically visualize the results, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) flowchart(14). This protocol was prepared and previously registered on OSF on 23/05/2023 (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/3RKBG).

Research question

What are the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic on the health of university faculty and students?

Eligibility criteria

The eligibility criteria are associated with publications covering methodological approaches including qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, reflections, editorials, guidelines, manuals, and policies published between 2020 and 2023. This time frame was selected due to the absence of the Covid-19 phenomenon before 2020 and the end of the international public health emergency declared by the World Health Organization in 2023(15).

Population

In this study, the population will be recognized as university students and faculty. For better reader understanding, “university students” are defined as individuals enrolled in higher education, regardless of their course of study or type of institution, whether public, private, or any other format. Regarding university faculty, this includes professors and researchers affiliated with higher education institutions, regardless of their employment status (permanent or temporary), course of affiliation, or type of institution.

Concept

All health repercussions will be considered, whether they are protective factors or processes of illness of any nature, regardless of whether the evidence is physical or mental.

Contexto

All health repercussions will be considered, whether they are protective factors or processes of illness of any nature, regardless of whether the evidence is physical or mental.

Sources of search

A concept mapping was developed using controlled health vocabularies, specifically the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) thesaurus produced by the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information/Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (BIREME/PAHO/WHO), and the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) produced by the US National Library of Medicine (NLM).

With DeCS, the mapping was created using the four languages recommended by BIREME: Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French. The MeSH terms, however, are exclusively in English. In both cases, primary descriptors and alternative terms were used, employing Boolean operators AND (inclusion) and OR (alternative), as well as truncation (*) to retrieve all terms with the prefix and/or suffix of the accompanying root.

The selected databases for this research are: EMBASE, MEDLINE via PubMed, and Scopus, along with the Portals: CAPES Journals and the Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library (BVS Regional).

With the structured concept mapping and the chosen databases, the search terms for each database were developed on April 6, 2023, respecting each database’s research premises and peculiarities. The concept mapping can be observed below (Figure 1).

Figure 1 - Concept mapping. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, 2023

Search strategy

A three-step search strategy was defined. The first step involved a specific search in MEDLINE. The second step of the research will be conducted in the following databases: Embase, Scopus, Portal de Periódicos da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), and LILACS. The third step involves searching for grey literature, which will be conducted in Google Scholar and the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD). The first step of the search strategy is described in Figure 2.

Figure 2 – First stage of the search strategy - MEDLINE via PubMed. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, 2023

Selection of studies

The results obtained after the search will be imported into the Rayyan review manager(16), an open-access web application developed by the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI). Initially, Rayyan will be used for blinded title and abstract screening by three independent researchers. Articles that address the research question will be selected for full-text reading. The full-text reading of the selected articles will also be conducted by the same three independent researchers. An article will be included in the study if it is approved by at least two researchers. The representation of the inclusion of works in this review will be done using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-Scr) flowchart(14).

Strategies for data extraction

Extracted data will be presented in a single table composed of the following information: Identification (title, year, author, country, year), database, journal, Qualis classification, impact factor (when available), objective, method, studied population, and repercussions of the pandemic on health.

Synthesis and presentation of findings

Data will be presented descriptively to promote a systematic visualization of the results. Representations will be made through tables and synoptic charts that illustrate the main characteristics of the studies, such as: sources of evidence, methodology used, population, sample size, study objectives, location of data collection, and main findings. In the event of similar characteristics among the study findings, the data may be presented in groups based on interpretive categorical affinity.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors have declared that there is no conflict of interests.

FUNDING

This paper was carried out with the support of Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) – Ref. Proc. E-26/211.928/2021. Processo No. SEI-260003/015471/2021.

REFERENCES

1. Organização Pan-americana de Saúde. Histórico da pandemia de COVID-19 [Internet]. [local desconhecido]: OPAS; 2022 [cited 16 oct 2023]. Available from: https://www.paho.org/pt/covid19/historico-da-pandemia-covid-19

2. Pietrabissa G, Simpson SG. Psychological Consequences of Social Isolation During COVID-19 Outbreak. Front Psychol. 2020;11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02201

3. Fuchs K. The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and e-Learning. Front Educ (Lausanne). 2022;7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.921332

4. Trust T, Whalen J. Should Teachers be Trained in Emergency Remote Teaching? Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Digit Learn Teach Educ [Internet]. 2020 [cited 16 oct 2023];28(2). Available from: https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/215995/

5. Malta DC, Szwarcwald CL, Barros MB de A, Gomes CS, Machado ÍE, Souza Júnior PRB de, et al. A pandemia da COVID-19 e as mudanças no estilo de vida dos brasileiros adultos: um estudo transversal, 2020. Epidemiol Serv Saúde (Online). 2020;29(4):e2020407. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-49742020000400026

6. Engzell P, Frey A, Verhagen MD. Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2021;118(17). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2022376118

7. Gundim VA, Encarnação JP da, Santos FC, Santos JE dos, Vasconcellos EA, Souza RC de. Saúde mental de estudantes universitários durante a pandemia de Covid-19. Rev baiana enferm. 2020;35. https://doi.org/10.18471/rbe.v35.37293

8. Charbonnier E, Vigouroux S Le, Goncalves A. Psychological vulnerability of french university students during the covid-19 pandemic: A four-wave longitudinal survey. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(18). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189699

9. Jones SE, Ethier KA, Hertz M, DeGue S, Le VD, Thornton J, et al. Mental Health, Suicidality, and Connectedness Among High School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, January-June 2021. MMWR Suppl. 2022;71(3):16–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7103a3

10. Teixeira T da SC, Marqueze EC, Moreno CR de C. Academic productivism: when job demand exceeds working time. Rev Saude Publica. 2020;54:1–11. https://doi.org/10.11606/s1518-8787.2020054002288

11. Kita Y, Yasuda S, Gherghel C. Online education and the mental health of faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-12841-x

12. Santiago ISD, Santos EP dos, Silva JA da, Sousa Cavalcante Y de, Gonçalves Júnior J, Souza Costa AR de, et al. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Teachers and Its Possible Risk Factors: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031747

13. Peters MD, Marnie C, Tricco AC, Pollock D, Munn Z, Alexander L, et al. Updated methodological guidance for the conduct of scoping reviews. JBI Evid Synth. 2020;18(10):2119-26. https://doi.org/10.11124/jbies-20-00167

14. Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O'Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D, et al. PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169(7):467. https://doi.org/10.7326/m18-0850

15. Organização Mundial da Saúde. OMS declara fim da Emergência de Saúde Pública de Importância Internacional referente à COVID-19 [Internet]. [place unkown]: Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde; 2023 [cited 16 oct 2023]. Available from: https://www.paho.org/pt/noticias/5-5-2023-oms-declara-fim-da-emergencia-saude-publica-importancia-internacional-referente

16. Valizadeh A, Moassefi M, Nakhostin-Ansari A, Hosseini Asl SH, Saghab Torbati M, Aghajani R, et al. Abstract screening using the automated tool Rayyan: results of effectiveness in three diagnostic test accuracy systematic reviews. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2022;22(1):160. https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12874-022-01631-8

Submission: 05-Sep-2023

Approved: 04-Jun-2024