SynthesisJournal of epidemiology and community health2021
Impact of lockdown on key workers: findings from the COVID-19 survey in four UK national longitudinal studies.
Synthesis in Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Changes in alcohol use during COVID-19 and associations with contextual and individual difference variables: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2022Pooled it
- Transferable learning from pandemic experiences: impacts, adaptations and capacity for resilience within households, communities and organisations.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Did trade unions protect employees' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic? A mixed effects model using UK data from Understanding Society.BMJ public health · 2025Article
- Sleep quality during and after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) lockdowns in the UK: Results from the SleepQuest study.Journal of sleep research · 2024Article
- Occupational differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection: the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS) study in 2022.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Risk and protective factors for new-onset binge eating, low weight, and self-harm symptoms in >35,000 individuals in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic.The International journal of eating disorders · 2023Article
- Association between home working and mental health by key worker status during the Covid-19 pandemic. Evidence from four British longitudinal studies.Industrial health · 2022Article
- Occupational differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection: analysis of the UK ONS COVID-19 infection survey.Journal of epidemiology and community health · 2022Article
- Are Sleep Problems Related to Psychological Distress in Healthy Aging during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundKey workers played a pivotal role during the national lockdown in the UK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although protective measures have been taken, the impact of the pandemic on key workers is yet to be fully elucidated.
methodsParticipants were from four longitudinal age-homogeneous British cohorts (born in 2001, 1990, 1970 and 1958). A web-based survey provided outcome data during the first UK national lockdown (May 2020) on COVID-19 infection status, changes in financial situation, trust in government, conflict with people around, household composition, psychological distress, alcohol consumption, smoking and sleep duration. Generalised linear models with logit link assessed the association between being a key worker and the above outcomes. Adjustment was made for cohort design, non-response, sex, ethnicity, adult socioeconomic position (SEP), childhood SEP, the presence of a chronic illness and receipt of a shielding letter. Meta-analyses were performed across the cohorts.
findings13 736 participants were included. During lockdown, being a key worker was associated with increased chances of being infected with COVID-19 (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.68) and experiencing conflict with people around (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.37). However, key workers were less likely to be worse off financially (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.65), to consume more alcohol (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.98) or to smoke more (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.80) during lockdown. Interestingly, being a key worker was not associated with psychological distress (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.05).
interpretationBeing a key worker during the first UK COVID-19 lockdown was a double-edged sword, with both benefits and downsides. The UK government had the basic duty to protect its key workers from SARS-CoV-2 infection, but it may have failed to do so, and there is an urgent need to rectify this in light of the ongoing third wave.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.