Keywords
Active Living; Physical Activity
Safety
Secondary Schools
Sleep
Teachers
How to Cite
Abstract
Background: New Jersey Safe Schools Program (NJSS) provides work-based learning (WBL) trainings to certified teachers who supervise students in school-sponsored work placements. Some newer teachers shared existing and adopted new physical health habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Surveys were provided to teachers who completed NJSS WBL supervisory trainings between October 2021-June 2022, with a follow-up survey Fall 2022. This study focused on a subset of questions on teachers’ self-reported behavioral habits regarding processed food/snack consumption, aerobic exercise, and sleep health.
Results: Of 114 teachers, approximately 3-in-5 (62.1%) woke up during the night and 1-in-3 (36.8%) found difficulty waking up in the morning on a school/workday; 1-in-10 (10.5%) sleep less than five hours per night. Regarding personal nutrition, 1-in-3 participants (37%) processed snacks/foods daily. Concerning physical health, 2-in-5 participants (43.8%) decreased aerobic exercise habits during the initial survey but increased at follow-up.
Conclusion: Data suggest NJ teachers adapted personal nutrition, sleep, and aerobic exercise habits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data offers guidance to help schools better address teacher needs, including healthy eating, wellness, and physical activity.
Keywords: Nutrition, Physical Activity, Safety, Secondary Schools, Sleep, Teachers
References
Ng, T. K. Y., Kwok, C. K. C., Ngan, G. Y. K., Wong, H. K. H., Zoubi, F. A., Tomkins-Lane, C. C., Yau, S. K., Samartzis, D., Pinto, S. M., Fu, S. N., Li, H., & Wong, A. Y. L. (2022). Differential Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity Involvements and Exercise Habits in People With and Without Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 103(7), 1448–1465.e6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2022.03.011
Will, M., & Superville, D. R. (2022, March 1). Don’t Forget the Adults: How Schools and Districts Can Support Educator Mental Health. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/dont-forget-the-adults-how-schools-and-districts-can-support-educator-mental-health/2022/03
Van Dyke, M. E., Chen, T. J., Nakayama, J. Y., Moore, L. V., & Whitfield, G. P. (2023). Changes in Physical Inactivity Among US Adults Overall and by Sociodemographic Characteristics, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2020 Versus 2018. Preventing Chronic Disease, 20, E65. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd20.230012
Coulthard, H., Sharps, M., Cunliffe, L., & van den Tol, A. (2021). Eating in the lockdown during the Covid 19 pandemic; self-reported changes in eating behaviour, and associations with BMI, eating style, coping and health anxiety. Appetite, 161, 105082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.105082
Mejova, Y., & Manikonda, L. (2023). Comfort Foods and Community Connectedness: Investigating Diet Change during COVID-19 Using YouTube Videos on Twitter. Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, 17(1), 602-613. https://doi.org/10.1609/icwsm.v17i1.22172
Nobakht, N., Kamgar, M., & Jahanshahi, N. (2022, January 5). When it comes to nutrition and chronic disease, focus on the basics. UCLA Health. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/when-it-comes-to-nutrition-and-chronic-disease-focus-on-the-basics
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). (2022, May). Hunger and Its Solutions in New Jersey. https://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/Hunger-Solutions-New-Jersey-Report.pdf
NJ Department of Health. (2024, July 30). Official site of the State of New Jersey. NJSHAD – Health Indicator Report - Food Insecurity by County, New Jersey, 2022. https://www-doh.nj.gov/doh-shad/indicator/view/FoodInsecurity.CoAll.html
Yuan, R. K., Zitting, K. M., Maskati, L., & Huang, J. (2022). Increased sleep duration and delayed sleep timing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 10937. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14782-x
Aggarwal, J., Campbell, M. L., Rehman, M., Nguyen, K. T., & Shendell, D. G. (2024). Perspectives and Attitudes of Newer New Jersey High School Teachers towards Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting Consumer Products Used in School Classrooms. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(2), 211. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21020211
Aggarwal, J., Shendell, D. G., Nguyen, K. T., Rehman, M., & Campbell, M. L. (2024). Newer New Jersey work-based learning teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: school safety regarding ventilation, trainings, and awareness of government agencies resources. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 1–10. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2024.2378097
Campbell, M. L., Aggarwal, J., Nguyen, K. T., Rehman, M., & Shendell, D. G., (2024). Assessment of Personal Mental Health and Related School Services Offered to New Jersey Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic Future. [In Review]
Shendell DG, Aggarwal J, Campbell MLF, Gonzalez LN, Kaplun E, Koshy K, Mackie TI. Fall 2020 COVID-19 Needs Assessment among New Jersey Secondary School Educational Professionals. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(8):4083. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084083
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). (2022, March 24). What are sleep deprivation and deficiency?. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation
Nathan, N., Murawski, B., Hope, K., Young, S., Sutherland, R., Hodder, R., Booth, D., Toomey, E., Yoong, S. L., Reilly, K., Tzelepis, F., Taylor, N., & Wolfenden, L. (2020). The Efficacy of Workplace Interventions on Improving the Dietary, Physical Activity and Sleep Behaviours of School and Childcare Staff: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), 4998. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17144998
Rutgers University. (2022). New Jersey’s Temperatures Rise by 4 Degrees Fahrenheit, Twice the Global Average Since 1900 – New Jersey Climate Change Resource Center. https://njclimateresourcecenter.rutgers.edu/new-jerseys-temperatures-rise-by-4-degrees-fahrenheit-twice-the-global-average-since-1900/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIn%202021%2C%20we%20experienced%20the
Altena, E., Baglioni, C., Sanz-Arigita, E., Cajochen, C., & Riemann, D. (2023). How to deal with sleep problems during heatwaves: practical recommendations from the European Insomnia Network. Journal of Sleep Research, 32(2), e13704. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13704
García, E., & Weiss, E. (2020, October 15). A policy agenda to address the teacher shortage in U.S. public schools: The sixth and final report in the “Perfect storm in the teacher labor market” series. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/a-policy-agenda-to-address-the-teacher-shortage-in-u-s-public-schools/
UNICEF. (n.d). Self-care tips for teachers. https://www.unicef.org/learning-crisis/self-care-tips-for-teachers
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Midhat Rehman, Juhi Aggarwal, Kimberly Nguyen , Maryanne Campbell, Derek Shendell