Beliefs and care practices around COVID-19 in railway personnel in Argentina

ABSTRACT

Objective: to characterize the situation of railway workers regarding their beliefs and practices of occupational health care in the context of COVID-19. The "ASPO", decreed on 03/20/2020 in Argentina, recognizes public passenger transport as an essential service. Public transport systems are high-risk contexts since they transport large numbers of people in a confined space, with limited ventilation, many common contact surfaces and few possibilities of identifying people infected with coronavirus. Methodology: exploratory-descriptive, quantitative and observational design, with a standardized questionnaire of questions and specific indicators for data collection. The sampling by quotas that was made up of 459 participants from different railway lines. Results 81.4% consider that it is very possible/quite possible to become infected in their workplace, while the home is perceived as the place with the lowest risk of contagion (65.68%). The perception of the feeling of sustained tiredness/listlessness increased by 44%;that of bad mood/irritability/nervousness 46.8%;constant alertness 55.7%;fear of getting sick/dying 39.7%;appetite 40.1%;difficulty sleeping 35.9%;and sexual desire 16.6% while it decreased by 14.4%. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) Objetivo: caracterizar la situacion de los trabajadores ferroviarios respecto de sus creencias y practicas de cuidado de la salud laboral en el contexto de la COVID-19. El Aislamiento Social Preventivo Obligatorio, decretado el 20/03/2020 en Argentina, reconoce al transporte publico de pasajeros como servicio esencial. Los sistemas de transporte publico son contextos de alto riesgo ya que transportan un gran numero de personas en un espacio confinado, con ventilacion limitada, gran cantidad de superficies comunes de contacto y escasas posibilidades de identificar personas contagiadas de coronavirus. Metodologia: diseno exploratorio-descriptivo, cuantitativo y observacional, con un cuestionario estandarizado de preguntas e indicadores especificos para la recoleccion de datos. El muestreo por cuotas quedo conformado por 459 participantes de diferentes lineas del ferrocarril. Resultados: el 81,4% considera que es muy posible/bastante posible contagiarse en su lugar de trabajo, mientras el hogar se percibe como el lugar de menor riego de contagio (65,68%). La percepcion sobre la sensacion de cansancio sostenido/desgano aumento un 44%;la de mal humor/irritabilidad/nerviosismo 46,8%;el estado de alerta constante 55,7%;el miedo a enfermar/morir 39,7%;el apetito 40,1%;la dificultad para dormir 35,9%;y el deseo sexual 16,6% mientras que disminuyo en el 14.4%. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)