The association between self-employed workers’ risk perception and use of preventive occupational physician care

Self-employed workers (SEW) face (work-related) health risks, but their access to occupational health care is generally not well arranged. This study assesses the association between SEW’ risk perception (i.e. perceived likelihood and seriousness) of work- related health problems and work disability, and their use of preventive occupational physician (OP) care. Data were collected from 348 self-employed workers via an online questionnaire in June 2024. Questions related to use of OP care, work-related and demographic factors, and perceived likelihood and seriousness regarding work-related health complaints and work disability (categorized as low, neutral or high). Data was analysed using descriptive and logistic regression analyses. Approximately 16% of SEW reported ever visiting the OP preventively. Lower perceived likelihood of work-related health complaints and work disability was associated with lower preventive visits to the OP (OR = 0.3 [95-CI% [0.2–0.6] and OR = 0.4 (95%-CI [0.2–0.7], respectively), compared to a neutral stance. Higher perceived likelihood was not significantly associated with visiting the OP preventively. Lower perceived seriousness of work-related health complaints was associated with a lower odds of having visited the OP (OR = 0.4, (95%-CI [0.2–0.9), while no association was found for perceived seriousness of work disability and use of OP care. Risk perception (perceived likelihood and seriousness) is partially associated with preventive OP visits. More research is needed into personal, contextual, and work-related factors influencing the use of OP care by SEWs.