Abstract
BACKGROUND: Self-employed workers (SEW) face (work-related) health risks, but their access to occupational health care is generally not well arranged. This study assesses the association between SEW’ risk perception (i.e. perceived likelihood and seriousness) of work- related health problems and work disability, and their use of preventive occupational physician (OP) care. METHODS: Data were collected from 348 self-employed workers via an online questionnaire in June 2024. Questions related to use of OP care, work-related and demographic factors, and perceived likelihood and seriousness regarding work-related health complaints and work disability (categorized as low, neutral or high). Data was analysed using descriptive and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Approximately 16% of SEW reported ever visiting the OP preventively. Lower perceived likelihood of work-related health complaints and work disability was associated with lower preventive visits to the OP (OR = 0.3 [95-CI% [0.2–0.6] and OR = 0.4 (95%-CI [0.2–0.7], respectively), compared to a neutral stance. Higher perceived likelihood was not significantly associated with visiting the OP preventively. Lower perceived seriousness of work-related health complaints was associated with a lower odds of having visited the OP (OR = 0.4, (95%-CI [0.2–0.9), while no association was found for perceived seriousness of work disability and use of OP care. CONCLUSIONS: Risk perception (perceived likelihood and seriousness) is partially associated with preventive OP visits. More research is needed into personal, contextual, and work-related factors influencing the use of OP care by SEWs. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-25584-x.