A Novel Application of Risk–Risk Tradeoffs in Occupational Health: Nurses’ Occupational Asthma and Infection Risk Perceptions Related to Cleaning and Disinfection during COVID-19

Amanda M. Wilson (), Irene Mussio, Susan Chilton, Lynn B. Gerald, Rachael M. Jones, Frank A. Drews, Judy S. LaKind and Paloma I. Beamer
Additional contact information
Amanda M. Wilson: Department of Community, Environment & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave., Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
Irene Mussio: Business School (Economics), Newcastle University, 5 Barrack Rd., Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4SE, UK
Susan Chilton: Business School (Economics), Newcastle University, 5 Barrack Rd., Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4SE, UK
Lynn B. Gerald: Population Health Sciences Program, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
Rachael M. Jones: Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Frank A. Drews: Department of Psychology, College of Social & Behavioral Science, University of Utah, 380 1530 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
Judy S. LaKind: LaKind Associates, LLC, 106 Oakdale Ave., Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
Paloma I. Beamer: Department of Community, Environment & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave., Tucson, AZ 85724, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: Background: Nurses face the risk of new onset occupational asthma (OA) due to exposures to cleaning and disinfection (C&D) agents used to prevent infections in healthcare facilities. The objective of this study was to measure nurses’ preferences when presented with simultaneous OA and respiratory viral infection (e.g., COVID-19) risks related to increased/decreased C&D activities. Methods: Nurses working in healthcare for ≥1 year and without physician-diagnosed asthma were recruited for an online anonymous survey, including four risk–risk tradeoff scenarios between OA and respiratory infection with subsequent recovery (Infect and Recovery) or subsequent death (Infect and Death). Nurses were presented with baseline risks at hypothetical “Hospital 1”, and were asked to choose Hospital 2 (increased OA risk to maintain infection risk), Hospital 3 (increased infection risk to maintain OA risk), or indicate that they were equally happy. Results: Over 70% of nurses were willing to increase infection risk to maintain baseline OA risk if they were confident they would recover from the infection. However, even when the risk of infection leading to death was much lower than OA, most nurses were not willing to accept a larger (but still small) risk of death to avoid doubling their OA risk. Age, work experience, and ever having contracted or knowing anyone who has contracted a respiratory viral infection at work influenced choices. Conclusions: We demonstrate the novel application of a risk–risk tradeoff framework to address an occupational health issue. However, more data are needed to test the generalizability of the risk preferences found in this specific risk–risk tradeoff context.

Keywords: work-related asthma; occupational asthma; healthcare worker; risk perception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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