The Health Problems of Polish and Lithuanian Youth During the Period of Remote Education of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in numerous changes and restrictions in many countries around the world, including school closures. Remote learning was introduced and took place on various online platforms. The aim of the presented study was to determine the health problems experienced by Polish and Lithuanian youth during the period of remote education which was enforced by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used a proprietary questionnaire and 385 students aged 13–16 from Polish and Lithuanian schools participated in the study. Polish and Lithuanian youth experienced many health problems, but the dominant ones were the following: headaches, backaches, problems with concentration, sleep problems and nervousness. These were health problems that resulted from young people sitting for long hours in front of a computer monitor and participating in remote education. The passive and (often incorrect) seating posture adopted by the students and direct contact with the computer and/or the Internet led to the occurrence of many health problems and disorders in both Polish and Lithuanian youth.