PHYSICAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN BANGLADESH:

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed healthcare professionals (HCPs) worldwide in an unprecedented and demanding role as frontliners in the battle against the virus. In the context of Bangladesh, this study explored the physical health problems and some related sociodemographic, familial, and social factors encountered by HCPs during the pandemic. This cross-sectional research took place in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, from June 2021 to February 2022. Various HCPs were chosen from a total of 10 government and 2 non-government hospitals dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients, utilizing a simple rando sampling approach. Total 483 responses were collected. Information was gathered by conducting face-to- face interviews with the use of semi-structured questionnaires. The data collected underwent analysis employing both descriptive and inferential statistics. SPSS version 22.0 was used for conducting data analysis. The study found significant sociodemographic, habitual, organizational, and family factors associated with the respondents’COVID-19 status at a 5% level of significance and a p-value less than 0.05. Post COVID-19 complications were seen among 28.6%, the group that was found COVID-19 positive among the respondents. Personal protective equipment (PPE)-related issues and issues related to long shifts included over sweating (88.20%), discomfort (84.90%), headache (82.40%), backpain (69.20%), and dehydration (73.90%). Improving working conditions and giving support to HCPs are required to ensure their physical safety and security.