Relationship between occupational injury and gig work experience in Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional internet survey

抄録

This study evaluated the relationship between occupational injuryrisk and gig work, which included the exchangeof labor for money between individuals or companies via digital platforms. AsJapan has experienced a severe economic decline during the coronavirus disease2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an increasing number of individuals have engaged ingig work. While few studies have evaluated occupational risks in gig work, severaltraffic accidents associated with food delivery work have been reported in themass media. In this study, 18,317 individuals completed an internet survey thatcollected information pertaining to their involvement in gig work andexperience of related occupational injuries; data regarding several confounding factors were also recorded. Multiplelogistic regression analysis showed that workersinvolved in gig work had a greater risk of any minor occupational injuries(odds ratio, 3.40; 95% confidenceinterval, 2.81–4.11) and activity-limiting injuries (odds ratio, 8.37; 95% confidenceinterval, 6.47–10.82) than those not involved in gig work, after adjusting for age,sex, household income, lifestyle factors, and work-related factors. The resultsof this study indicate that gig workers are exposed to greater occupationalhazards during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional studies are warranted toclarify the causal mechanism for this relationship.