ArticleBMC public health2025
What is known about the health of location-based and online web-based digital labour platform workers? A scoping review of the literature.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Occupational injuries and health risks among food delivery riders in China: research progress and prevention strategies.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Determinants of active accident involvement among motorcycle couriers in Türkiye: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Predation, acceleration, and loss of control: a multilevel theoretical framework for algorithmic time politics and the occupational health of platform workers.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- From alienation to deficitization: the subjectivity predicament of digital laborers.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDigital labour platforms are transforming work organization, offering new opportunities but also raising concerns about precarious conditions and health risks. Despite increasing attention to platform work, limited research has examined its direct impact on workers' physical, mental, and social well-being.
objectivesThe objective of this scoping review is to examine current empirical studies investigating the health effects of working via digital labour platforms, aiming to (i) summarize the existing evidence, (ii) pinpoint knowledge gaps, and (iii) identify areas for methodological enhancements.
methodsWe search for peer-reviewed studies published until December 2024 from Web of Science and PubMed, alongside grey literature. Inclusion criteria covered papers with original data, using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, resulting in 40 included studies. A pre-established theoretical framework guided result reporting, emphasizing three characteristics affecting worker health: (i) business practices, (ii) employment conditions, and (iii) work environment hazards.
resultsIn summary, literature shows a link between digital platform work and poor health. The current evidence, mainly focused on mental health and location-based platform workers, highlights factors contributing to poor physical and mental health, including low-quality employment conditions and psychosocial work environment hazards. Limited evidence suggests a correlation between business practices-algorithmic management and rating systems-and poor mental health. Knowledge gaps include the health impact of web-based platforms, especially medical consultation ones and location-based domestic and care services platforms, and less-explored outcomes like musculoskeletal pain and occupational injuries. Methodological limitations, such as low sample size and lack of control groups, were noted.
conclusionsThis review identifies methodological improvements and knowledge gaps, guiding future research to comprehend the impact of digital platform work on health. As legislation evolves to enhance platform workers' job conditions, researching their health is crucial for offering practical recommendations and shaping evidence-based policies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.