Working during a Pandemic between the Risk of Being Infected and/or the Risks Related to Social Distancing: First Validation of the SAPH@W Questionnaire

Daniela Converso, Andreina Bruno, Vincenza Capone, Lara Colombo, Alessandra Falco, Teresa Galanti, Damiano Girardi, Gloria Guidetti, Sara Viotti and Barbara Loera
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Daniela Converso: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Andreina Bruno: Department of Education Sciences, University of Genoa, 16128 Genova, Italy
Vincenza Capone: Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy
Lara Colombo: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Alessandra Falco: FISPPA Section of Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
Teresa Galanti: Department of Psychological, Health and Territory Sciences G. d’Annunzio, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Damiano Girardi: FISPPA Section of Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
Gloria Guidetti: Department of Psychological, Health and Territory Sciences G. d’Annunzio, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Sara Viotti: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy
Barbara Loera: Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led the worldwide healthcare system to a severe crisis in which personnel paid the major costs. Many studies were promptly dedicated to the physical and psychological consequences of the COVID-19 exposure among healthcare employees, whereas the research on the other working populations has been substantially ignored. To bridge the current lack of knowledge about safe behaviors related to the risk of COVID-19 contagion at work, the aim of the study was to validate a new tool, the SAPH@W (Safety at Work), to assess workers’ perceptions of safety. Methods: A total of 1085 participants, employed in several organizations sited across areas with different levels of risk of contagion, completed an online questionnaire. To test the SAPH@W validity and measurement invariance, the research sample was randomly divided in two. Results: In the first sub-sample, Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated the adequacy of the SAPH@W factorial structure. In the second sub-sample, multi-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed that the SAPH@W was invariant across gender, ecological risk level, and type of occupation (in-person vs. remote working). Conclusions: The study evidenced the psychometric properties of the SAPH@W, a brief tool to monitor workers’ experiences and safety perceptions regarding the COVID-19 risk in any organisational setting.

Keywords: occupational health; COVID-19; perceived safety assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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