Occupational safety, disaster risk perception, and anxiety among EMS professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: examining relationships quantitatively

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationships between occupational safety, disaster risk perception, and anxiety among emergency medical service (EMS) professionals, and to assess whether disaster risk perception mediates the relationship between occupational safety and anxiety. Design/methodology/approach The study sample consisted of 603 EMS professionals. Data were collected using the Occupational Safety Scale for healthcare personnel (OSS), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Disaster Risk Perception Scale (DRPS). Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted to explore relationships among variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships and to examine the mediating role of disaster risk perception between occupational safety and anxiety. Findings The findings indicated that higher levels of occupational safety among EMS professionals were significantly associated with lower disaster risk perception and anxiety levels. In contrast, disaster risk perception was positively and significantly associated with anxiety. Mediation analysis further revealed that disaster risk perception partially mediates the relationship between occupational safety and anxiety. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by examining the relationships between occupational safety, disaster risk perception, and anxiety among EMS professionals, a combination of variables that has not previously been investigated together within this professional group.