Students' blood pressure and heart rate while performing cognitive tasks at education institutions in Northern and Northeastern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The use of information and communication technologies improves the versatility of learning environments by broadening the scope of educational practices, allowing students to communicate with other institutions and providing access to information in real time. However, these tools, in addition to environmental characteristics, can increase the internal thermal load, which is directly influenced by the external environment, with a consequent impact on body physiology.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the relationship between air temperature and blood pressure and heart rate among students performing cognitive tasks at computer laboratories in four public universities (three in Northeastern Brazil and one in Northern Brazilian).

METHODS: Thermal conditions and physiological parameters were analysed over three consecutive days, and the participants were subjected to changes in air temperature from 20°C to 33°C. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured before and after testing.

RESULTS: Analyses of the experimental data showed changes in heart rate at high temperatures, with a greater risk of students from Teresina and Manaus institutions presenting heart rates above 100 bpm during cognitive tasks.

CONCLUSIONS: Within the temperature range applied, on the day of the highest temperature, we observed the highest percentage of participants who reported thermal discomfort (63%, 33°C; 58%, 29°C; 38%, 28°C) and a reduction of cognitive performance (15 to 10 points when the air temperature increases from 20 to 33°C).