Relationship between Gender, Smoking Habits, and Pregnancy Status and the Risk of Covid-19 Transmission in the Workplace for Workers in Surabaya

Introduction: Workers are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. The risk of COVID-19 transmission is affected by a number of factors, one of them is individual characteristics. This study aims to analyzed the relationship between gender, smoking habits, and pregnancy status and the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace for workers in Surabaya. Methods: As an observational study, this study used cross-sectional design. The population in the study was all workers living in Surabaya who use the internet. This study used purposive sampling technique with a total sample of 542 people. Data were obtained through questionnaires distributed online. Relationships between variables were analyzed using the chi-square or Spearman test. Results: Most of the study respondents were female (62.5%), did not have a smoking habit (87.6%), were not pregnant or breastfeeding (85.6%), and had a moderate risk of transmitting COVID-19 in the workplace (58.1%). No relationship was found between gender (p = 0.859) and pregnancy status (p = 0.063) with the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace. However, there was a slight relationship between smoking habits with the risk of COVID-19 transmission (p=0.028, rs=-0.096), where workers with a smoking habit showed a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace. Conclusion: : Based on statistical result, smoking habits are a factor related to the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace for workers in Surabaya. Implementing control strategies for COVID-19 using hierarchy of control methode is important for workers in Surabaya.