Title
Exploring the relationship between job characteristics and infection: Application of a COVID-19 job exposure matrix to SARS-CoV-2 infection data in the United Kingdom
Author
Rhodes, S.
Beale, S.
Wilkinson, J.
van Veldhoven, K.
Basinas, J.
Mueller, W.
Oude Hengel, K.M.
Burdorf, A.
Peters, S.
Stokholm, Z.A.
Schlünssen, V.
Kolstad, H.
Pronk, A.
Pearce, N.
Hayward, A.
van Tongeren, M.
Publication year
2022
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to assess whether workplace exposures as estimated via a COVID-19 job exposure matrix (JEM) are associated with SARS-CoV-2 in the UK. Methods: Data on 244 470 participants were available from the Office for National Statistics Coronavirus Infection Survey (CIS) and 16 801 participants from the Virus Watch Cohort, restricted to workers aged 20-64 years. Analysis used logistic regression models with SARS-CoV-2 as the dependent variable for eight individual JEM domains (number of workers, nature of contacts, contact via surfaces, indoor or outdoor location, ability to social distance, use of face covering, job insecurity, and migrant workers) with adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, index of multiple deprivation (IMD), region, household size, urban versus rural area, and health conditions. Analyses were repeated for three time periods (i) February 2020 (Virus Watch)/April 2020 (CIS) to May 2021), (ii) June 2021 to November 2021, and (iii) December 2021 to January 2022. Results: Overall, higher risk classifications for the first six domains tended to be associated with an increased risk of infection, with little evidence of a relationship for domains relating to proportion of workers with job insecurity or migrant workers. By time there was a clear exposure-response relationship for these domains in the first period only. Results were largely consistent across the two UK cohorts. Conclusions: An exposure-response relationship exists in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic for number of contacts, nature of contacts, contacts via surfaces, indoor or outdoor location, ability to social distance and use of face coverings. These associations appear to have diminished over time.
Subject
Cohort
Coronavirus
COVID-19
COVID-19 job exposure matrix
Epidemiology
Exposure
Infection
JEM
Job characteristic
Job exposure matrix
Occupation
SARS-CoV-2
United Kingdom
Virus
Workplace
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:2776d5b0-5d49-47b7-83ed-86af3250b703
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4076
TNO identifier
980982
Source
Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health, Epub 20 Dec
Document type
article