RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 COVID-19 risk management at the workplace, fear of infection and fear of transmission of infection among frontline employees
JF Occupational and Environmental Medicine
JO Occup Environ Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 248
OP 254
DO 10.1136/oemed-2020-106831
VO 78
IS 4
A1 Kirsten Nabe-Nielsen
A1 Charlotte Juul Nilsson
A1 Maria Juul-Madsen
A1 Charlotte Bredal
A1 Lars Ole Preisler Hansen
A1 Åse Marie Hansen
YR 2021
UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/78/4/248.abstract
AB Objectives We compared COVID-19 risk management, fear of infection and fear of transmission of infection among frontline employees working within eldercare, hospital/rehabilitation, psychiatry, childcare and ambulance service and explored if group differences in fear of infection and transmission could be explained by differences in risk management. We also investigated the association of risk management with fear of infection and fear of transmission of infection among eldercare personnel.Methods We used cross-sectional questionnaire data collected by the Danish labour union, FOA . Data were collected 5½ weeks after the first case of COVID-19 was registered in Denmark. Data for the first aim included 2623 participants. Data for the second aim included 1680 participants. All independent variables were mutually adjusted and also adjusted for sex, age, job title and region.Results Fear of infection (49%) and fear of transmitting infection from work to the private sphere (68%) was most frequent in ambulance service. Fear of transmitting infection during work was most frequent in the eldercare (55%). Not all differences in fear of infection and transmission between the five areas of work were explained by differences in risk management. Among eldercare personnel, self-reported exposure to infection and lack of access to test was most consistently associated with fear of infection and fear of transmission, whereas lack of access to personal protective equipment was solely associated with fear of transmission.Conclusion We have illustrated differences and similarities in COVID-19 risk management within five areas of work and provide new insights into factors associated with eldercare workers’ fear of infection and fear of transmission of infection.