TY - JOUR
T1 - Occupational health of frontline healthcare workers in the united arab emirates during the covid‐19 pandemic
T2 - A snapshot of summer 2020
AU - Ajab, Suad
AU - Ádam, Balázs
AU - Hammadi, Muna Al
AU - Bastaki, Najwa Al
AU - Al Junaibi, Mohamed
AU - Al Zubaidi, Abdulmajeed
AU - Hegazi, Mona
AU - Grivna, Michal
AU - Kady, Suhail
AU - Koornneef, Erik
AU - Neves, Raquel
AU - Uva, António Sousa
AU - Sheek‐hussein, Mohamud
AU - Loney, Tom
AU - Serranheira, Florentino
AU - Paulo, Marília Silva
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/11/1
Y1 - 2021/11/1
N2 - The study aim was to understand the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study was an online‐based, cross‐sectional survey during July and August 2020. Participants were eligible from the entire country, and 1290 agreed to participate. The majority of HCWs were females aged 30–39 years old, working as nurses, and 80% considered PPE to be available. Twelve percent of respondents tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2. Half of HCWs considered themselves physically tired (52.2%), reported musculoskeletal pain or discomfort (54.2%), and perceived moderate‐to‐high levels of burnout on at least one of three burnout domains (52.8%). A quarter of HCWs reported anxiety (26.3%) or depression (28.1%). HCWs reporting not having musculoskeletal pain, having performed physical activity, and higher scores of available PPE reported lower scores of anxiety, depression, and burnout. UAE HCWs experienced more access to PPE and less anxiety, depression, and burnout compared with HCWs in other countries. Study findings can be used by healthcare organizations and policymakers to ensure adequate measures are implemented to maximize the health and wellbeing of HCWs during the current COVID‐19 and future pandemics.
AB - The study aim was to understand the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the levels of anxiety, depression, and burnout of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study was an online‐based, cross‐sectional survey during July and August 2020. Participants were eligible from the entire country, and 1290 agreed to participate. The majority of HCWs were females aged 30–39 years old, working as nurses, and 80% considered PPE to be available. Twelve percent of respondents tested positive for SARS‐CoV‐2. Half of HCWs considered themselves physically tired (52.2%), reported musculoskeletal pain or discomfort (54.2%), and perceived moderate‐to‐high levels of burnout on at least one of three burnout domains (52.8%). A quarter of HCWs reported anxiety (26.3%) or depression (28.1%). HCWs reporting not having musculoskeletal pain, having performed physical activity, and higher scores of available PPE reported lower scores of anxiety, depression, and burnout. UAE HCWs experienced more access to PPE and less anxiety, depression, and burnout compared with HCWs in other countries. Study findings can be used by healthcare organizations and policymakers to ensure adequate measures are implemented to maximize the health and wellbeing of HCWs during the current COVID‐19 and future pandemics.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Burnout
KW - COVID‐19
KW - Healthcare workers
KW - Occupational health
KW - Personal protective equipment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118153991&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph182111410
DO - 10.3390/ijerph182111410
M3 - Article
C2 - 34769927
AN - SCOPUS:85118153991
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 18
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 21
M1 - 11410
ER -
