Psychological Health and Coronavirus Disease 2019-related Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavioral Practices among Industrial Workers: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Abstract Aim: The spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed a high threat on the health of industrial workers as the most crucial source of the workforce in maintaining business and the community economy. The present study was conducted toevaluate the levels of psychological health and knowledge, attitude, and behavioral practice (KAP) relating to COVID-19 and to investigatethe individual and occupational risk factors associated with them. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 603 randomly selected workers from Tehran industrial city, Iran. Data collected through an online self-reporting questionnaire consisted of demographic variables, Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and items about KAP. Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney U-tests, and regression model analyses were performed to determine the factors associated with DASS-21 and KAP scales. Results: In this study, a prevalence of moderate to extremely severe symptoms was 30.2% for depression, 35.7% for anxiety, and 15.6% for stress. 89.9%, 95.3%, and 66% of the workers had moderate knowledge, attitude, and good behavioral practice, respectively. Home appliance industry (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.84, P = 0.002), work experience over 16–20 years old (aOR = 0.38, P = 0.031), and having an associate’s degree (aOR = 0.82, P = 0.02) were positively associated with worker’s attitude, depression, and knowledge, respectively. Conclusion: The findings indicated a considerable proportion of psychological health problems, particularly depression, anxiety, and stress among workers across industries. Occupational health services should provide interventions to improve knowledge, particularly in disease transmission, increase awareness, and emphasize appropriate preventive measures to reduce workplace chronic stressors and improve psychological health.