Abstract
The article presents the results of a study on the health status of university teachers. The research included an anonymous survey and an analysis of physiological indicators. A total of 186 individuals participated in the study, of whom 127 were affiliated with the Karaganda Buketov University and 59 with Altai State University. Data collection was carried out during the transition to distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as after its completion. Biological age was evaluated through a comprehensive analysis of body weight, blood pressure, static balance, and subjective self-assessment of health. The calculated individual scores were further interpreted by comparing them with appropriate age standards. It was found that in 22.58% of the examined teachers the aging process was slowed down, in 25% it corresponded to the population norm, whereas in 52.1% accelerated aging was observed. In addition, inter-university differences in the characteristics of aging rates among teachers were identified. Among teachers of the Karaganda Buketov University, the proportion of individuals with an accelerated aging process was 55.9%, whereas among those from Altai State University this indicator was lower, amounting to 44%. The observed differences may be explained by the fact that at Buketov University the study was conducted during the pandemic period. Given that hormonal mechanisms exert different effects on male and female organisms, the rates of aging may also differ substantially. In particular, among male teachers of Buketov University, 79.37% were classified as being in the risk group, while among women this figure was 32.78%. At Altai State University, the corresponding proportions for men and women were 66.67% and 31.58%, respectively. The findings indicate that the pandemic had a significant impact on the health status of university teachers. Morphofunctional differences between male and female organisms may also contribute to these outcomes.