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. 2023 Dec 5;94(6):e2023244.
doi: 10.23750/abm.v94i6.14564.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in meat and poultry workers after the "first wave" (Summer 2020): a cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP) of Italian occupational physicians

Matteo Riccò  1 , Antonio Baldassarre  2 , Pietro Ferraro  3 , Pietro Melodia  4 , Manuel Stocchi  5 , Nicola Magnavita  6
Affiliations

SARS-CoV-2 infection in meat and poultry workers after the "first wave" (Summer 2020): a cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP) of Italian occupational physicians

Matteo Riccò et al. Acta Biomed. .

Abstract

Background and aim: This cross-sectional study assessed knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of Italian Occupational Physicians (OPs) on Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among meat/poultry processing plant workers (MPWs) (Summer season 2020).

Methods: Data were collected through an online questionnaire including demographic characteristics, and items about COVID-19-related KAP in MPWs. A logistic regression was modelled in order to characterize explanatory variables of the outcome variable of having any professional experience as OP in meat/poultry processing industry.

Results: A total of 424 OPs (mean age 49.0 ± 9.1years; 49.5% males) participated into the survey. Despite a generally good level of knowledge on SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, OPs having professional experience with MPWs failed to recognize any increased risk for COVID-19 (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.162; 95% Confidence intervals [95%CI] 0.039-0.670), and were less likely to recommend periodical tests via nasal swabs (OR 0.168, 95%CI 0.047-0.605). On the contrary, they identified socioeconomic status of MPWs as a risk factor (OR 5.686, 95%CI 1.413-22.881), recommending cleaning interventions on changing rooms and canteens (OR 16.090, 95%CI 1.099-259.244).

Conclusions: In conclusion, we reported a diffuse underestimation of the risk for COVID-19, that was alarmingly higher among professionals who should be more familiar with the specific requirements of MPWs. Some significant knowledge gaps were also clearly identified, stressing the opportunity for tailored educative interventions (www.actabiomedica.it).

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Conflict of interest statement

Each author declares that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g. consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangement etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow chart of study participants.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
General Knowledge Score (GKS) among 424 Occupational Physicians (OP) participating into the survey (Italy, Summer 2020; average: 84.0% ± 9.3 standard deviation), broken down by having (81.9% ± 6.7) or having not any professional expertise as OP in meat and/or poultry processing industries (84.8% ± 10.0; Mann-Whitney U test p < 0.001). Data were substantially skewed both at visual inspection and according D’Agostino-Pearson test (skew = -2.349; z = -12.567; p = 0.001).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Risk Perception Score (RPS) calculated among the 424 occupational physicians participating into the present survey (Italy, late summer 2020), on the risk to get COVID-19 among meat and poultry workers. The estimates were quite skewed, both at visual inspection and by D’Agostino-Pearson test (skew = 0.918, z = 6.785, p < 0.001). Participants without specific expertise on management of meat/poultry processing industries exhibited not significantly higher RPS for getting COVID-19 among these workers (49.7% ± 16.6 vs. 46.9% ± 22.5, p = 0.223).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Risk Perception Score (RPS) calculated among the 424 occupational physicians participating into the present survey (Italy, late summer 2020), on the risk to get COVID-19 in the Italian general population as for summer 2020 compared to early months of the pandemic. The estimates were quite skewed, both at visual inspection and by D’Agostino-Pearson test (skew = 1.811, z = 10.844, p < 0.001 for RPS on the general population). Participants reporting specific expertise on management of meat/poultry processing industries scored a not significantly higher RPS than those having not (29.9% ± 19.4 vs. 26.4% ± 18.1; p = 0.088).
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