Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35762212›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of industrial medicine2022

Perceived COVID-19 health and job risks faced by digital platform drivers and measures in place to protect them: A qualitative study.

Ellen MacEachen, Samantha B Meyer, Shannon Majowicz, Pamela Hopwood, Meghan Crouch, Joyceline Amoako, Yamin T Jahangir, Steve Durant, Antonela Ilic

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of industrial medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Platform-Mediated Gig Work and Health: A Scoping Review.American journal of industrial medicine · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ellen MacEachenSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6477-7650
Samantha B MeyerSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Shannon MajowiczSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Pamela HopwoodSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Meghan CrouchSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Joyceline AmoakoSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Yamin T JahangirSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Steve DurantSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Antonela IlicSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

CIHR VR5-172687
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAs they deliver food, packages, and people across cities, digital platform drivers (gig workers) are in a key position to become infected with COVID-19 and transmit it to many others. The aim of this study is to identify perceived COVID-19 exposure and job risks faced by workers and document the measures in place to protect their health, and how workers responded to these measures.

methodsIn 2020-2021, in-depth interviews were conducted in Ontario, Canada, with 33 digital platform drivers and managers across nine platforms that delivered food, packages, or people. Interviews focused on perceived COVID-19 risks and mitigation strategies. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and uploaded to NVivo software for coding by varied dual pairs of researchers. A Stakeholder Advisory Committee played an instrumental role in the study.

resultsAs self-employed workers were without the protection of employment and occupational health standards, platform workers absorbed most of the occupational risks related to COVID-19. Despite safety measures (e.g., contactless delivery) and financial support for COVID-19 illnesses introduced by platform companies, perceived COVID-19 risks remained high because of platform-related work pressures, including rating systems. We identify five key COVID-19 related risks faced by the digital platform drivers.

conclusionWe situate platform drivers within the broad context of precarious employment and recommend organizational- and government-level interventions to prevent digital platform worker COVID-19 risks and to assist workers ill with COVID-19. Measures to protect the health of platform workers would benefit public health aims by reducing transmission by drivers to families, customers, and consequently, the greater population.

Indexed as

COVID-19Occupational HealthEmploymentHumansOntarioQualitative Researchcovid-19 pandemicdigital platformsgig economy health interventionsoccupational health and safetyprecarious employment

Identifiers

PMID35762212
PMCPMC9349656

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.