Gastrointestinal symptoms associated with PPE use among nurses in COVID-19 wards: a cross-sectional study

作者：Wenyu Li, XC Wu, Y J Yan, Zhiyang Xie, Tingting Huang, L J Sun, Shaozhi Tian, Zhengjie Dai, Longcha Liu, X Xu · 发表于：Frontiers in Public Health · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.3389/fpubh.2026.1827949 · 研究领域：Infection Control and Ventilation、Infection Control in Healthcare、COVID-19 and Mental Health

Objective To investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms (reflux, nausea, and vomiting) among nurses in COVID-19 isolation wards and identify associated factors, with a specific focus on discomfort caused by personal protective equipment (PPE). Study design A cross-sectional survey. Methods In March 2020, 354 of 368 eligible nurses (96.2% response rate) from the COVID-19 isolation wards of a designated hospital in Wenzhou, China, completed the survey. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, a self-rated PPE discomfort scale, the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire (GerdQ), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Statistical assessments included univariate, correlation, and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Firth's penalized likelihood logistic regression and sensitivity analyses were applied to address sparse data in specific subgroups. Results The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the cohort was 23.2% (82/354). Multivariable regression identified several independent factors significantly associated with these symptoms (all P < 0.01): severe PPE-induced discomfort ( OR = 3.64, 95% CI : 1.95–6.80), elevated psychological stress (SCL-90 total score: OR = 1.14, 95% CI : 1.09–1.20), and poor sleep quality (PSQI total score: OR = 2.10, 95% CI : 1.51–2.92). Although univariate analyses suggested protective associations for prior intensive care unit (ICU) experience and m...