Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sleep, Mental Health, Physical Activity, and Diet, and of Misinformation on Vaccination Decisions Among Adults Employed in Different Work Sectors in Poland

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed substantial variation in vaccine attitudes and susceptibility to misinformation, raising concerns from an occupational health perspective about potential differences across employment sectors. This study examined associations between employment category and pandemic-related changes in mental health, and vaccine-related misinformation among adults in Poland. Data were collected between 13 January and 14 February 2022 using a cross-sectional online survey. Complete questionnaires from 7018 respondents were analyzed. Employment category (services, industry, agriculture, unemployed) was examined in relation to self-reported changes in sleep, mental health, physical activity, and diet. A misinformation index was constructed based on agreement with eight vaccine-related misinformation statements. Overall, 81.8% of participants reported being vaccinated. Employment category was significantly associated with perceived changes in sleep, mental health, and diet. The misinformation index was consistently higher among unvaccinated individuals across all employment groups, with the largest differences observed among the unemployed and agricultural workers. These findings show a strong link between vaccine misinformation and remaining unvaccinated, highlighting the need for targeted occupational health education and reliable health information. Increasing vaccination coverage therefore requires not only vaccine availability but also systematic efforts to counteract misinformation and strengthen digital health literacy across occupational groups.