Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on essential workers in Europe: subset analysis of a global online survey

Eftekhar, Parvin, Othman, Nasih, Duncan, Andrea, Alotaibi, Sultan, Schuster, Alexandra M. and Nowrouzi-Kia, Behdin (2022) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on essential workers in Europe: subset analysis of a global online survey. Journal of Health and Social Sciences, 7 (3). pp. 325-336. ISSN 2499-2240

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Abstract

Introduction: This study aims to explore how essential workers in Europe differed from the rest of the population in terms of their experiences of social life, access to services, mental well-being, and perceived benefits of the lockdown. Methods: This study used a descriptive analysis to evaluate the overall experiences of the essential workers in Europe. Data analyzed in this study is part of a larger global online cross-sectional survey conducted during April to November 2020 involving post-secondary staff, students and the general population (remote workers). Data of 19,794 participants are included in the current study, and analysis is based on a comparison of participants who self-identified as essential workers, with those who did not using the chi-square test. Results: Mean age was 34.5 years (SD =13.0) for essential workers and 30.2 years (SD =12.4) for the general population (remote workers). While 13.6% of all respondents were essential workers, the proportion was more among older ages (30 and above), females, and those who lived in suburbs. Overall, 46.8% of participants reported increased levels of stress during week 1-2 (51% of essential workers and 46.1% of the other participants, p<0.001). More essential workers reported their social life being great than the rest of the population (25.3% vs. 16.4%, p<0.001), and COVID-19 symptoms (13.6 vs 10.5%, p<0.001). In addition, fewer reported having troubled relationships (16.3% vs. 18.6%, p<0.001) or being able to do sufficient exercise (35.7% vs. 40.5%, p<0.001) than the general population (remote workers). Take-home message: The important role of essential workers during the pandemic cannot be overstated, yet their contributions, especially non-healthcare essential workers, have not been fully appreciated.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2022 The Author(s).
Divisions:	Health Policy
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine H Social Sciences
Date Deposited:	02 Dec 2022 15:45
Last Modified:	26 Oct 2024 21:00
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/117506

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