Work-related and personal predictors of COVID-19 transmission: evidence from the UK and USA

Anand, Paul, Allen, Heidi L., Ferrer, Robert L., Gold, Natalie ORCID: 0000-0003-0706-1618, Gonzales Martinez, Rolando Manuel, Kontopantelis, Evangelos, Krause, Melanie and Vergunst, Francis (2022) Work-related and personal predictors of COVID-19 transmission: evidence from the UK and USA. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 76 (2). 152 - 157. ISSN 0143-005X

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Abstract

Objective: To develop evidence of work-related and personal predictors of COVID-19 transmission. Setting and respondents: Data are drawn from a population survey of individuals in the USA and UK conducted in June 2020. Background methods: Regression models are estimated for 1467 individuals in which reported evidence of infection depends on work-related factors as well as a variety of personal controls. Results: The following themes emerge from the analysis. First, a range of work-related factors are significant sources of variation in COVID-19 infection as indicated by self-reports of medical diagnosis or symptoms. This includes evidence about workplace types, consultation about safety and union membership. The partial effect of transport-related employment in regression models makes the chance of infection over three times more likely while in univariate analyses, transport-related work increases the risk of infection by over 40 times in the USA. Second, there is evidence that some home-related factors are significant predictors of infection, most notably the sharing of accommodation or a kitchen. Third, there is some evidence that behavioural factors and personal traits (including risk preference, extraversion and height) are also important. Conclusions: The paper concludes that predictors of transmission relate to work, transport, home and personal factors. Transport-related work settings are by far the greatest source of risk and so should be a focus of prevention policies. In addition, surveys of the sort developed in this paper are an important source of information on transmission pathways within the community.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://jech.bmj.com/
Additional Information:	© 2021 The Authors
Divisions:	Economics CPNSS
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology
Date Deposited:	28 Jul 2021 23:16
Last Modified:	16 Nov 2024 04:54
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/111486

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