Abstract The implementation of social distancing policies due to COVID-19 has placed home visit workers under mental stress, as they are often perceived as potential sources of infection. This is particularly evident among door-to-door rental equipment examiners and gas inspectors, who face significant discrimination while performing their duties amidst the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between risk perception and stress, and COVID-19 fear, and to investigate the mediating role of perceived stress and the moderating role of education in this relationship. Data was collected through labor unions from 1,643 home visiting workers, including those examining rental home appliance equipment and those inspecting gas. An online survey assessed COVID-19 risk perception, fear, perceived stress, and demographic characteristics. The data was analyzed using SPSS and PROCESS Macro. The results indicated that risk perception and perceived stress are positively correlated with COVID-19 fear. Furthermore, perceived stress significantly mediates the effects of risk perception on COVID-19 fear, and education significantly moderates the impact of risk perception on COVID-19 fear. These findings suggest that to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 risk perception on fear, it is crucial to develop appropriate educational programs aimed at stress reduction for home visit workers. Policymakers are encouraged to develop online or mobile infectious disease education programs focusing on COVID-19 risk at work and to establish policies that incorporate legal education.
Baek et al. (Sun,) studied this question.