Oh Se-Eun, Choi Sangjun
Graduate School, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, South Korea.
Graduate School of Public Health and Healthcare Management, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, South Korea.
J Occup Health. 2025 Jan 7;67(1). doi: 10.1093/joccuh/uiaf017.
This study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health status of self-employed workers by comparing their status before and during the pandemic, using nationwide data from the Korean Working Conditions Survey.
The final study included 16 620 and 14 342 self-employed participants in the fifth (2017) and sixth (2020-2021) surveys, respectively. Musculoskeletal symptoms, systemic fatigue, headache, and eye strain, as well as mental health status, such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia, were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Gender, age, education level, and income were adjusted for the multivariable logistic regression analysis to assess pre- and peri-pandemic changes in the health status based on working conditions.
Compared with the pre-pandemic period, all aspects of the health status of self-employed individuals surveyed during the peri-pandemic period showed deterioration. Back pain increased 3.4 times (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.44; 95% CI: 3.15-3.75) compared with the pre-pandemic period, followed by anxiety, which increased 2.1 times (adjusted OR 2.13; 95% CI: 1.79-2.54). For single-person businesses, the overall health status showed statistically significant deterioration, highlighting the heightened vulnerability of these groups during this period.
This study confirmed that the physical and mental health status of self-employed individuals significantly deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic period compared with the pre-pandemic period. These findings suggest the need for government health protection policies for vulnerable groups, such as self-employed individuals, during future pandemics when social control measures are implemented.
本研究通过比较新冠疫情之前和期间个体经营者的健康状况，利用韩国工作条件调查的全国性数据，评估新冠疫情对个体经营者健康状况的影响。
最终研究分别纳入了第五次（2017年）调查中的16620名和第六次（2020 - 2021年）调查中的14342名个体经营者参与者。使用结构化问卷评估肌肉骨骼症状、全身疲劳、头痛、眼疲劳以及焦虑、抑郁和失眠等心理健康状况。在多变量逻辑回归分析中对性别、年龄、教育水平和收入进行了调整，以根据工作条件评估疫情前和疫情期间健康状况的变化。
与疫情前时期相比，疫情期间接受调查的个体经营者健康状况的各个方面均出现恶化。与疫情前时期相比，背痛增加了3.4倍（调整优势比[OR]为3.44；95%置信区间：3.15 - 3.75），其次是焦虑，增加了2.1倍（调整OR为2.13；95%置信区间：1.79 - 2.54）。对于单人企业，整体健康状况显示出统计学上的显著恶化，突出了这些群体在此期间更高的脆弱性。
本研究证实，与疫情前时期相比，个体经营者的身心健康状况在新冠疫情期间显著恶化。这些发现表明，在未来实施社会控制措施的大流行期间，需要针对个体经营者等弱势群体制定政府健康保护政策。
