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DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1753735
Increases in health problems during the first pandemic wave – An analysis of occupational differences based on the German National Cohort (NAKO)
Einleitung The pandemic poses a variety of health-related challenges for workers in different occupations. Employees in essential jobs experienced higher demands and workloads while many office workers transitioned into home office and had to cope with several new demands (e.g. developing new daily routines, managing childcare, mastering digital technologies). In addition, shifts into short-time work or unemployment elevated job insecurity and financial strains in the working population. Thus, the pandemic exposes workers to a number of stressors possibly influencing their health. Our research takes a closer look at occupational differences in health-related changes. With the goal to analyse intra-individual changes in mental health by occupation, the current analysis investigates differences between occupational groups in self-reported changes in general health during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave in Germany.
Methoden We use prospective cohort data of the German National Cohort (NAKO), which combines pre-pandemic baseline measures of health indicators of more than 100,000 workers with data collected during the first wave of the pandemic (February to August 2020). The classification of workers into different occupational groups is based on the German Classification of Occupations 2010 (Klassifikation der Berufe, KldB 2010). We distinguish between horizontal (occupational sectors and segments) and vertical occupational differences (skill level and personnel responsibility). Health is measured by self-rated health (“Compared to the time before the Corona pandemic, how would you describe your current state of health?”) and mental health (depressive symptoms, anxiety disorder symptoms). Multivariable analysis linking deterioration in general health (yes/no) to occupational characteristics were carried out.
Ergebnisse On average, 10.1 % of employees reported a deterioration in self-rated health during the first pandemic wave. The decline was the most pronounced in elderly care (adj. prevalence of 12.3%), education and social work (11.8%), administration (11.7%), and in pharmacy (11.3%). Employees in office jobs (11.1%), and in the segments of hospitality and cultural services (10.8%) also experienced a larger deterioration in general health than the average.
Schlussfolgerung Our study fills an important gap in research by focusing on health-related changes due to pandemic in different occupational groups. Our analysis can highlight important adversities by occupation which might not be directly related to infection risk. Addressing them and improving working conditions in those occupations could be an important policy task. Our further research plan includes the analyses of intra-individual changes in mental health by occupation. We plan to have a specific focus on how pandemic-related work changes (such as home office, job insecurity or increased workload) contributed to changes in mental health.
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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
22. August 2022
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