Experiences and Expressions of Stress Among US Food Industry Workers During the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic.
- 1School of Public Health Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
- 2Health Systems Research, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Abstract
Introduction
The Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) exposed legacies of deep inequality, including who could afford protection from exposure. As part of the essential workforce, food industry workers continued fully in-person work throughout the pandemic and associated shutdowns.Objective
To qualitatively examine US food worker experiences and stressors during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.Methods
Thirty-four open-ended phone interviews were conducted from May through September 2020 with people who grew (n = 2), processed (n = 5), cooked (n = 9), sold (n = 17), and/or delivered (n = 5) food in the United States. Audio recordings were transcribed and coded for themes of stress, health, and workplace environment.Results
Interviewees reported widespread disruption across US food system workplaces (e.g., reduced staffing, role changes, and increased workloads). Expressions of stress clustered into 4 themes: financial strain, concern about getting/transmitting Covid-19, sustained uncertainty, and overburdening. Workers' experiences revealed a need for self-reliance while their work and life environments were repeatedly overhauled.Conclusion
Results align with similar investigations into food workers' stress and limited protections before, during, and after the pandemic. The study contributes evidence for stronger worker support systems and positions food workers' lived experiences as vital to research and policy.
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BibTeX
@article{koselka2026experiences,
title = {{Experiences and Expressions of Stress Among US Food Industry Workers During the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic.}},
author = {Elizabeth Koselka},
journal = {American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/ajhb.70338},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897720},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Experiences and Expressions of Stress Among US Food Industry Workers During the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic.
AU - Elizabeth Koselka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council
DO - 10.1002/ajhb.70338
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42897720
AB - Introduction The Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) exposed legacies of deep inequality, including who could afford protection from exposure. As part of the essential workforce, food industry workers continued fully in-person work throughout the pandemic and associated shutdowns.Objective To qualitatively examine US food worker experiences and stressors during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.Methods Thirty-four open-ended phone interviews were conducted from May through September 2020 with people who grew (n = 2), processed (n = 5), cooked (n = 9), sold (n = 17), and/or delivered (n = 5) food in the United States. Audio recordings were transcribed and coded for themes of stress, health, and workplace environment.Results Interviewees reported widespread disruption across US food system workplaces (e.g., reduced staffing, role changes, and increased workloads). Expressions of stress clustered into 4 themes: financial strain, concern about getting/transmitting Covid-19, sustained uncertainty, and overburdening. Workers' experiences revealed a need for self-reliance while their work and life environments were repeatedly overhauled.Conclusion Results align with similar investigations into food workers' stress and limited protections before, during, and after the pandemic. The study contributes evidence for stronger worker support systems and positions food workers' lived experiences as vital to research and policy.
SN - 1042-0533
SN - 1520-6300
ER -