Citation

García-González MA, Torrano F, García-González G. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020; 17(8): e2958.

Affiliation

Escuela Superior de Ingeniería y Tecnología, UNIR-Universidad Internacional de la Rioja, Av. de la Paz, 137, 26006 Logroño, Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph17082958

PMID

32344638

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the primary stress factors female professors at online universities are exposed to. The technique used for the prospective and exploratory analysis was the Delphi method. Two rounds of consultations were done with fourteen judges with broad experience in health and safety at work and university teaching who reached a consensus of opinion regarding a list of nine psychosocial risk factors. Among the most important risk factors, mental overload, time pressure, the lack of a schedule, and emotional exhaustion were highlighted. These risk factors are related to the usage and expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) and to the university system itself, which requires initiating more research in the future in order to develop the intervention programs needed to fortify the health of the affected teachers and protect them from stress and other psychosocial risks.

Language: en

Keywords

Delphi technique; higher education teachers; psychosocial risk factors; technostress; telecommuting; women