Black American Fathers Employed in Higher-Risk Contexts for Contracting COVID-19: Implications for Individual Wellbeing and Work-Family Spillover.

Shauna M Cooper,Alvin Thomas,Olajide Bamishigbin

doi:10.1177/15579883211005617

Abstract

Black Americans remain disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging data suggests that employment in certain occupations (e.g., essential; frontline) may place individuals at higher-risk for contracting COVID-19. The current investigation examined how Black American fathers’ COVID-19 perceived work risk was associated with their individual well-being (COVID-19 diagnosis; depressive and anxiety symptoms; sleep disturbance; sleep quality) as well as spillover into family contexts. Participants were 466 Black American fathers (M = 36.63; SD = 11.00) who completed online surveys in June–July 2020. Adjusted binomial logistic and multiple regressions were estimated to examine how fathers’ work context was associated with COVID-19 health outcomes, psychological functioning, sleep health, and family stress. Descriptive analyses revealed that 32% of fathers reported a personal diagnosis of COVID-19 and 21% indicated that an immediate family member had been diagnosed. Adjusted binomial logistic regression analyses revealed that fathers working in higher-risk contexts for contracting COVID-19 had a greater odds ratio for both a personal (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.68) and an immediate family member diagnosis (OR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.52, 4.36). Working in a higher-risk context for contracting COVID-19 was associated with poorer psychological functioning, greater sleep disturbance, and higher levels of family discord. Findings suggest that Black fathers working in higher risk contexts may be at risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection. Further, this study indicates that these effects extend to their own well-being, including mental and sleep health as well as increased family stress.

Highlights

Over 30 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and over 500,000 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 related complications in the United States (Center for Disease Control, 2021)
Results indicated that the odds of a diagnosis for fathers working in a higher-risk context for contracting COVID-19 was 1.68 times that of fathers who reported not working in a highrisk context for contracting COVID-19
The odds a family member contracting COVID-19 for fathers working in a higher-risk context for contracting COVID-19 was 2.58 times that of fathers who reported not working in a higher-risk context for contracting COVID-19

Summary

Introduction

Over 30 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and over 500,000 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 related complications in the United States (Center for Disease Control, 2021). For Black Americans, who are disproportionately represented in essential, frontline, and other higher risk occupations (Sim, 2020; Thompson, 2020), these data suggest potential increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and infection. Studies have primarily centered on COVID-19 risk exposure among healthcare workers, research suggests a number of other frontline and essential occupations have been associated with greater risk exposure, including protective service, public transit workers, retail and service staff (Sim, 2020; Thompson, 2020). The disproportionate number of Black Americans employed as frontline and essential workers suggests increased risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection; but, reflects the effects of existing social and racial inequities, which are being exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic (Dubay et al, 2020; Karaye, & Horney, 2020; Smith et al, 2020). Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, this heightened stress can increase the likelihood of mental health-related issues, such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety (Bao et al, 2020; Rajkumar, 2020; Williamson et al, 2020)

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Results

Conclusion