(HealthDay News) — The likelihood of reporting negative COVID-19 impacts is lower for infection prevention professionals (IPs) with organized wellness support, according to a study published online July 14 in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, Ph.D., from The Ohio State University in Columbus, and colleagues surveyed a random sample of Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology members regarding mental and physical well-being, lifestyle behaviors, and perceived worksite wellness support during the pandemic; 926 IPs responded (15% response rate).
The researchers found that few of the respondents met the guidelines for sleep, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption (34.1, 18.8, and 7.3%, respectively). The rate of depression was 21.5%; anxiety, 29.8%; and burnout, 65%. More negative mental health impacts were seen for frontline and practicing IPs and IP administrators and directors than IPs in other roles. The likelihood of reporting negative COVID-19 impacts was lower for infection prevention professionals with organized wellness support. Worsening physical and mental health due to COVID-19 was more likely to be reported for IPs working nine to 11+ hours per day. No significant differences were seen in the odds of negative COVID-19 impacts on lifestyle behaviors between White and racially and ethnically diverse IPs.
“IPs have played a critical role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in acute and outpatient settings, but the resulting increases in stress have negatively impacted their mental and physical well-being,” the authors write.
