Health impacts with telework on workers: A scoping review before the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

BackgroundTelework has dramatically increased due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the health impacts related to telework have become major concerns. Some studies have shown that telework has both positive and negative impacts. However, during the pandemic, the influence of COVID-19 is too strong to estimate the health effects of telework. Therefore, this scoping review investigated a comprehensive overview of those impacts based on studies conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsWe searched keywords related to telework in five databases: PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, and Ichu-Shi Web. We included articles written in English and Japanese and published from January 2009 to December 2020. One author extracted data, and four authors were paired into two groups. All authors independently conducted the first and second screening and checked the results in pairs. Any disagreements were resolved by reaching a consensus among all authors. All screening and strategies were performed with the consent of all authors.ResultsTwenty-nine quantitative studies published in 12 countries were extracted. The outcomes included 10 studies on physical and lifestyle outcomes, 25 studies on stress and mental health outcomes, and 13 studies on quality-of-life and wellbeing outcomes. Telework increased sitting time in one study, and two studies showed improvement in behavior, such as reducing smoking or drinking due to telework. While six studies reported subjective stress levels improved by telework, the results for depression, anxiety, and other disorders varied across those studies, and the social or individual factors further complicated the situation.ConclusionTelework is potentially associated with a shift to healthier lifestyles but also the potential for inverse correlation to extend sedentary time. Mental stress indicators depend on the social and individual situations, and very few intervention studies on teleworking existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our review identified a lack of intervention and comparative research on health problems with telework and revealed a need to conduct research with clear comparisons in post-COVID-19 studies.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021203104, identifier: CRD42021203104.

Education and pandemic SARS-CoV-2 infections in the German working population – the mediating role of working from home

“…Working from home might, on the one hand, be associated with negative side effects such as higher levels of musculoskeletal pain ( 54 ), depression or alcohol consumption ( 55 , 56 ), less physical activity, etc ( 57 ). On the other hand, working from home might lead to a reduction of contacts with infected individuals, longer sleeping times, more time for physical activity, an enhanced possibility to arrange working and personal life and better productivity ( 58 , 59 ). Further research with a health equity focus is needed to fully understand the effect of working from home on individuals’ health and wellbeing.…”

The effect of yin yoga intervention on state and trait anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…A large number of studies have shown an increase in mental health issues owing to the COVID-19 pandemic ( 13 , 48 – 50 ). General distress and reduced social contacts, including remote work, had detrimental effects on mental health, increasing stress, anxiety, and depression.…”

Teleworking Effects on Mental Health—A Systematic Review and a Research Agenda

“…Firstly, these results indicate that teleworking predates the recent pandemic crisis. However, it might say that this new modality of work is an emerging and current phenomenon, which, by necessity, gained new momentum with COVID-19 [ 78 ] and which already allows us to guide an appropriate response to the first research question. From March 2020 onwards, the world was affected by a phenomenon that required adaptation to the numerous restrictions imposed, and the work sphere was no exception [ 67 ].…”

“…The results indicate that teleworking can influence workers’ behavior, regardless of the services or positions held (e.g., teaching, administrative, psychologists, and hospital staff). That is, irrespective of the role performed, workers are exposed to a set of factors that can trigger different pathologies, a finding found mainly among female workers [ 9 , 19 , 22 , 55 , 68 , 69 , 71 , 78 , 79 , 81 ].…”

“…Other studies [ 72 ] corroborate these findings, showing that teleworking, during the pandemic period, had an adverse influence on workers’ behavior, which resulted in a substantial increase in cases of anxiety and depression, which also translates into significant lower productivity and performance [ 12 , 64 ]. The health problems potentially associated with remote work during the pandemic were highlighted [ 78 ]. Furthermore, it was also possible to assert that women were more affected when compared to men, both on a professional social and personal level [ 22 , 55 , 68 , 69 , 71 , 72 , 79 ].…”