Demographic characteristics and mental health condition of Tehran Municipality employees during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global health issue with various effects on the physical and mental state of the societies. The aim of this study was to identify the demographic characteristics and mental health condition of Tehran Municipality employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on Tehran Municipality employees in 2020–2021. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling and were divided into COVID-19 and uninfected groups. Demographic characteristics, COVID-19 risk behaviors, General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), and Well- Being Social Inventory were filled for all participants. Results: A total of 510 participants (363 uninfected participants and 147 participants with COVID-19) were evaluated. The prevalence of female gender was significantly higher in COVID-19 group compared to uninfected group (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference between groups in terms of education level (p < 0.001), prevalence of excess weight (p < 0.001), and working sector (p < 0.001). The uninfected group mainly had low contact with clients (p < 0.001) and few underlying diseases (p = 0.004) compared to the COVID-19 group. The mean GHQ-28 and Well- Being Social Inventory were significantly higher in the uninfected group compared to the COVID-19 group (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). The prevalence of no and low contact level was significantly higher in the high infection cluster compared to moderate and low infection clusters (p = 0.024). Conclusions: The findings of this study indicated that all workers should be educated about the significance of social distancing and follow the recommendations regardless of their level of contact with clients.