Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42458402›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2026

Sex and occupational differences in long COVID prevalence among healthcare workers: a multicentre registry-based study in three Spanish hospitals.

Pia Delano, Fernando G Benavides, Consol Serra, José María Ramada, Mª Teresa Gea-Velázquez de Castro, Roberto Botella Mira, Itria G Mirabella, Marina Fernandez Escribano, Magdalena Blasco López, Alfonso Muriel and 5 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Pia DelanoCenter for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. Pia.delano@upf.edu.
Fernando G BenavidesCenter for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Consol SerraCenter for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
José María RamadaCenter for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Mª Teresa Gea-Velázquez de CastroHospital Sant Joan d'Alacant, San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Roberto Botella MiraHospital Sant Joan d'Alacant, San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Itria G MirabellaOccupational Health and Safety Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Marina Fernandez EscribanoOccupational Health and Safety Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Magdalena Blasco LópezOccupational Health and Safety Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Alfonso MurielCenter for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) of Epidemiology and Public Health, Madrid, Spain.
Gemma NavarroUnitat de Qualitat, Parc Tauli Hospital Universitari, Sabadell, Spain.
Rosa SerranoInstitut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Tauli (I3PT-CERCA), Sabadell, Spain.
Claudia Palma-VasquezHealth Technology Assessment in Primary Care and Mental Health (PRISMA) Research Group, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain.
Alejandra VivesEscuela de Salud Pública, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
Mireia UtzetCenter for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.

Funding

Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2023 FI-3 00065
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsTo estimate the prevalence of long COVID identified through hospital registry data and examine associated occupational and demographic factors among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Spain.

methodsA multicentre study was conducted between 2020 and 2023 in three Spanish hospitals (Madrid, n = 1; Barcelona, n = 2). Long COVID prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated overall and by sex, age group, and occupational category. Associations between long COVID and occupational category were assessed using Poisson regression models with robust variance, stratified by sex and hospital, and adjusted by age and occupation.

resultsRegistry data included 8,439 HCWs. Long COVID prevalence ranged from 3.0% to 5.0% and increased with age, with an adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) increase of 3-9% per year. Occupational differences were more pronounced among men. In University Hospital Ramon y Cajal, male nurses (PR 2.56; 95% CI 1.13-5.81) and other HCWs (PR 3.67; 95% CI 1.12-12.08) had higher prevalence compared with physicians. In Hospital Parc Tauli, male nurse assistants (PR 20.33; 95% CI 3.64-113.42) and support staff (PR 8.30; 95% CI 1.46-47.19) showed markedly elevated prevalence, although confidence intervals were wide. Among women, occupational associations were weaker and less consistent. Overall sex differences were modest, but sex modified the association between occupational role and long COVID prevalence.

conclusionsLong COVID affected approximately 3-5% of HCWs across participating hospitals. Occupational differences in long COVID prevalence were observed, although estimates varied across centres. These findings highlight the importance of occupational health surveillance and follow-up strategies that consider both occupational role and potential sex-specific patterns.

Indexed as

COVID-19Health PersonnelPersonnel, HospitalAdultFemaleFrontline WorkersHumansMaleMiddle AgedPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromePrevalenceRegistriesSex FactorsSpainCOVID-19Healthcare systemOccupational healthPost-covid

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.