Health and health care access for essential, non-essential and non-workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Alyssa Shell Tilhou, Brendan Saloner, Thomas DeLeire, Susmita Chakraborty, Laura Dague- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Abstract
Objective
Describe sociodemographic characteristics, healthcare access, and health status of low-income essential, non-essential, and non-workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Using survey data (2020-2021) from Wisconsin Medicaid enrollees (n = 2528), we compared sociodemographics, healthcare access, and health status between essential, non-essential, and non-workers.
Results
Essential workers had less consistent health insurance coverage and more problems paying medical bills than non-essential and non-workers. They reported better health than non-essential and non-workers. They reported fewer work-limiting conditions and less outpatient healthcare utilization than non-workers but similar rates as non-essential workers. Essential workers reported masking less frequently than non-workers but similar frequency to non-essential workers, and lower COVID-19 vaccine willingness than non-essential and non-workers.
Conclusion
Essential workers report better health, fewer protective behaviors, and more healthcare barriers than non-essential and non-workers. Findings indicate essential worker status may be a social determinant of health.