Interaction effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and regional deprivation on self-rated health: a cross-sectional study
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SUBMITTER: Jeon H
PROVIDER: S-EPMC11367910 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:With over twelve months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, its morbidity and mortality continue to be a critical health threat despite various instituted preventive and control efforts. Information on the multi-regional public perspective of the diseases is limited. Therefore, this study investigated public knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South Asia (SA) regions of the world. In an online pretested questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey, respondents (n = 2738) were recruited using a convenience sampling technique and data obtained were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. The majority of respondents had bachelor's degrees or higher (91.1%) and were aged between 18 and 39 years (88%). Most of the respondents had satisfactory knowledge (73%, 15.4 ± 2.5), attitudes 76.8%, 7.1 ± 1.1, and perceptions (73.4%, 11±2.8). Participants with higher educational levels and scientific backgrounds were 1.71 times (95% CI: 1.44; 2.03; p < 0.001) more likely to have a better knowledge of COVID-19. Respondents from the SA region were significantly more likely (OR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.68; p < 0.001) to possess satisfactory knowledge of COVID-19. Meanwhile, respondents from the MENA region (OR: 7.81; 95% CI: 6.12, 9.97; p < 0.001) have better attitudes and are more optimistic about ending the pandemic than those from the SSA. Despite the satisfactory knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions towards the regional efforts observed, we emphasize continued adherence by the public to the health regulations and safety measures of countries in these regions. There is a need for the low and middle-income countries to improve awareness of COVID-19 preventive practices.
| S-EPMC10022257 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThis study assessed the relationship between self-rated political orientation and attitude toward the cash transfer policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis cross-sectional study conducted in South Korea during the pandemic included a stratified sample of 1,004 respondents (aged 19 years and older). We tested the hypotheses that political orientation shapes attitudes toward social policies and that other socioeconomic factors might have relatively minor importance. Logistic regression was used to identify associations between political orientation and attitude toward the cash transfer policy. Average marginal effects were calculated to determine the effect size of each variable.ResultsPolitical orientation, age, and residential area were correlated with attitudes toward the policy. Compared to the conservatives, the non-committed and the moderate showed about 10% more favorable attitudes, and the progressive group showed robust support. People in their 30s and 40s showed similar attitudes to the 18-29 group, while older people showed much lower support. Compared to the Seoul metropolitan area, residents of the Ho-nam area showed favorable attitudes, and those of the Yeong-nam area had relatively unfavorable attitudes.ConclusionsThis study suggests that attitudes toward the cash transfer policy are mainly associated with political orientation. Although these results illuminate pandemics' social and political dimensions, further efforts are needed to fully understand the determinants and mechanisms of attitudes toward policies outside the traditional health policy scope.
| S-EPMC9152266 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Self-medication (SM) is characterized by the procurement and use of medicines by bypassing primary healthcare services and without consulting a physician, usually to manage acute symptoms of self-diagnosed illnesses. Due to the limited availability of primary healthcare services and the anxiety associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the compulsion to SM by the public has increased considerably. The study aimed to assess the characteristics, practices, and associated factors of SM by the public during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sargodha, Pakistan. χ2-tests and univariable analyses were conducted to explore the identification of characteristics and the potential contributing factors for SM during COVID-19, while multivariable logistic regression models were run to study the effect of variables that maintained a significant association. The study was performed during July-September 2021, with n = 460 questionnaires returned overall (response rate: 99.5%). The majority of respondents were males (58.7%, n = 270) who live in the periphery of the town (63.9%, n = 294), and most of the respondents belonged to the age group of 18-28 years (73.3%, n = 339). A large number, 46.1% (n = 212), of the participants were tested for COVID-19 during the pandemic, and among them, 34.3% (n = 158) practiced SM during the pandemic; the most common source of obtaining medicines was requesting them directly from a pharmacy (25.0%; n = 127). The chances of practicing SM for medical health professionals were 1.482 (p-value = 0.046) times greater than for non-medical health personnel. The likelihood of practicing SM in participants whose COVID-19 test was positive was 7.688 (p-value < 0.001) times more than who did not test for COVID-19. Allopathic medicines, acetaminophen (23.6%), azithromycin (14,9%), and cough syrups (13%), and over the counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals, vitamin oral supplements, such as Vitamin C (39.1%), folic acid (23.5%), and calcium (22.6%), were the most commonly consumed medicines and supplements, respectively; being a healthcare professional or having a COVID-test prior showed a significant association with the usage of Vitamin C (p < 0.05 in all cases). Respondents who mentioned unavailability of the physician and difficulty in travelling/reaching healthcare professionals were found 2.062-times (p-value = 0.004) and 1.862-times (p-value = 0.021) more likely to practice SM, respectively; SM due to fear of COVID was more common in individuals who had received COVID-tests prior (p = 0.004). Practices of SM were observed at alarming levels among our participants. Consciousness and understanding about the possible adverse effects of SM must be established and validated on a continuous level; in addition, on a commercial level, collaboration from pharmacists not to sell products (especially prescription-only medicines) without a certified prescription must be developed and implemented.
| S-EPMC9694449 | biostudies-literature
Project description:RationaleThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and consequent lockdown measures have had a large impact on people's lives. Recent evidence suggests that self-rated health (SRH) scores remained relatively stable or increased during the pandemic.ObjectiveFor the current project, we examine potential changes in the variance decomposition of SRH before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands.MethodsWe analyse data from the Netherlands Twin Register to examine pre-pandemic SRH scores (N = 16,127), pandemic SRH scores (N = 17,451), and SRH difference scores (N = 7464). Additionally, we perform bivariate genetic analyses to estimate genetic and environmental variance components in pre-pandemic and pandemic SRH, and estimate the genetic correlation to assess potential gene-environment interaction.ResultsThe majority of the sample (66.7%) reported the same SRH before and during the pandemic, while 10.8% reported a decrease, and 22.5% an increase. Individuals who reported good/excellent SRH before the pandemic were most likely to report unchanged SRH during the pandemic, and individuals with bad/mediocre/reasonable SRH more often reported increased SRH. The bivariate longitudinal genetic model reveals no significant change in variance decomposition of SRH from before to during the pandemic, with a heritability estimate of 45% (CI 36%-52%). We found that the genetic correlation could be constrained to 1, and a moderate unique environmental correlation (rE = 0.49, CI = 0.37 to 0.60).ConclusionsWe theorize that the increases in SRH are explained by uninfected individuals evaluating their health more positively than under normal circumstances (partly through social comparison with infected individuals), rather than actual improvements. As the same genes are expressed under different environmental exposures, these results imply no evidence for gene-environment interaction. While different environmental factors might influence SRH at the two time-points, the influence of environmental factors does not become relatively more important during the pandemic.
| S-EPMC9212653 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesPrevious studies showed that older adults with fair or poor self-rated health (SRH) were more likely to experience delayed care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to understand delayed care patterns by SRH during the COVID-19 pandemic among US older adults.MethodsUsing a nationally representative sample of older adults (≥ 70 years old) from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), we assessed the patterns of delayed care by good, fair, or poor SRH.ResultsNearly one in five of the survey-weighted population of 9,465,117 older adults who experienced delayed care during the pandemic reported fair or poor SRH. The overall distributions of the numbers of types of delayed care (p = 0.16) and the numbers of reasons for delayed care (p = 0.12) did not differ significantly by SRH status. Older adults with good, fair, or poor SRH shared the four most common types of delayed care and three most common reasons for delayed care but differed in ranking. Older adults with poor SRH mostly delayed seeing a specialist (good vs. fair vs. poor SRH: 40.1%, 46.7%, 73%, p = 0.01).ConclusionsThe results suggest that utilizing SRH as a simple indicator may help researchers and clinicians understand similarities and differences in care needs for older adults during the pandemic. Targeted interventions that address differences in healthcare needs among older adults by SRH during the evolving pandemic may mitigate the negative impacts of delayed care.
| S-EPMC9556801 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Aim and objectivesTo assess the prevalence of anxiety, sleep disorders and self-efficacy and their predicting factors among nurses facing COVID-19.BackgroundThe spread of COVID-19 throughout the world determined a series of modifications of several National Health Service organisations, with a potential series of psychological consequences among nurses, who were particularly afflicted by this situation of changes and precariousness.DesignA cross-sectional study was carried out from February-April 2020.MethodsA total of 1,005 nurses employed in different Italian hospital wards, during the COVID-19 pandemic, were recruited. Analyses were based on descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression. The STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was used in this study.ResultsThe prevalence of sleep disturbances, moderate anxiety and low self-efficacy was 71.4%, 33.23% and 50.65%, respectively. We found a positive correlation between anxiety and sleep quality (0.408; p < .0001) and negative correlations between self-efficacy and anxiety (-0.217; p < .0001) and sleep quality and self-efficacy (-0.134; p < .0001). The factor independently associated with all variables was gender. Females were more prone to sleep disturbances, anxiety and low levels of self-efficacy than males (p < .05).ConclusionsThe prevalence of anxiety, sleep disorders and low self-efficacy among Italian nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic was high. Healthcare managers should recognise and consider these results to reduce the risk of the onset of major mental problems that could result in post-traumatic stress disorder.Relevance to clinical practiceNurses facing major incidents as COVID-19 pandemic are among healthcare personnel exposed to a high risk to develop psychological disturbance that should be assessed and recognised, in order to find helpful coping strategies to inform support services and avoid to hesitate in post-traumatic stress disorders.
| S-EPMC8012992 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted public health and quality of life, leading to government recommendations for vaccination. Using cross-sectional data from a nationwide population-based survey conducted in China (N = 6860), this study aimed to examine the associations between individual vaccine uptake and general trust in others, trust in government, and interaction with neighbors. We conducted a multilevel logistic regression analysis to examine the relevance of these factors at the individual and community levels. Among young adults, higher levels of general trust at both levels were positively associated with vaccination, with odds ratios (OR) of 1.35 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07, 1.70) and 1.58 (95% CI: 1.14, 2.18), respectively. We also found a positive association between vaccination and community-level interaction with neighbors, with ORs of 1.55 (95% CI: 1.11, 2.17). In contrast, among older individuals, vaccination was positively associated only with individual-level interaction with neighbors, with an OR of 1.55 (95% CI: 1.15, 2.08). The results indicated that vaccine uptake was associated with an individual’s views of society and the social environment of the community, with substantial variations between the young and the old. Our findings emphasize the significance of public health measures to strengthen neighborhood interactions among older adults.
| S-EPMC10459166 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundGovernments across Europe deployed non-pharmaceutical interventions to mitigate the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which not only showed clear benefits but also had negative consequences on peoples' health. Health inequalities increased, disproportionally affecting people with higher age or lower education. This study analyzed associations between social factors and worsened self-rated health of elderly people in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking different stringencies of government mandates as well as infection rates into account.MethodsData stem from the European SHARE survey. The main outcome was a binary indicator of worsened self-rated health. Analyses included data from two waves (2020 and 2021) during the pandemic (N = 48 356 participants, N = 96 712 observations). Predictors were age, sex, education and living together with a partner, and two macro indicators that reflected the stringency of government response mandates and COVID-19 infection rates. Data were analyzed using logistic mixed-effects regression models.ResultsOlder age [odds ratio (OR) 1.73, confidence interval (CI) 1.65-1.81] and female sex (OR 1.26, CI 1.20-1.32) were positively associated and higher education (OR 0.74, CI 0.70-0.79) was negatively associated with worsened self-rated health. Not living together with a partner showed higher odds of worsened self-rated health (OR 1.30, CI 1.24-1.36). Inequalities increased from 2020 to 2021. Associations between worsened self-rated health and government response mandates or infection rates were inconsistent.ConclusionSelf-rated health worsened in the course of the pandemic and health disparities increased. Possible future pandemics require targeted interventions to minimize adverse health outcomes, in particular among old, potentially isolated, and deprived people.
| S-EPMC10710346 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAs the number of COVID-19 cases increased precipitously in the United States, policy makers and health officials marshalled their pandemic responses. As the economic impacts multiplied, anecdotal reports noted the increased use of web-based crowdfunding to defray these costs.ObjectiveWe examined the web-based crowdfunding response in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States to understand the incidence of initiation of COVID-19-related campaigns and compare them to non-COVID-19-related campaigns.MethodsOn May 16, 2020, we extracted all available data available on US campaigns that contained narratives and were created between January 1 and May 10, 2020, on GoFundMe. We identified the subset of COVID-19-related campaigns using keywords relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored the incidence of COVID-19-related campaigns by geography, by category, and over time, and we compared the characteristics of the campaigns to those of non-COVID-19-related campaigns after March 11, when the pandemic was declared. We then used a natural language processing algorithm to cluster campaigns by narrative content using overlapping keywords.ResultsWe found that there was a substantial increase in overall GoFundMe web-based crowdfunding campaigns in March, largely attributable to COVID-19-related campaigns. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic persisted and progressed, the number of campaigns per COVID-19 case declined more than tenfold across all states. The states with the earliest disease burden had the fewest campaigns per case, indicating a lack of a case-dependent response. COVID-19-related campaigns raised more money, had a longer narrative description, and were more likely to be shared on Facebook than other campaigns in the study period.ConclusionsWeb-based crowdfunding appears to be a stopgap for only a minority of campaigners. The novelty of an emergency likely impacts both campaign initiation and crowdfunding success, as it reflects the affective response of a community. Crowdfunding activity likely serves as an early signal for emerging needs and societal sentiment for communities in acute distress that could be used by governments and aid organizations to guide disaster relief and policy.
| S-EPMC7879716 | biostudies-literature
Project description:There is a growing concern that inequalities are hindering health outcomes. This paper's primary objective is to investigate the role of relative deprivation and inequality in explaining the daily spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. For this purpose, we use secondary cross-sectional data across 119 (developed and developing) countries from January 2020 - to April 2021. For the empirical analysis, we use a recent dynamic panel data modelling approach that allows us to identify the role of time-invariant variables such as degree of globalisation, political freedom and income inequality on the dynamics of the pandemic and fatality rates across countries. We find that new cases per million and fatality rates are highly persistent processes. After controlling for time-varying mobility statistics from the Google mobility database and region-specific dummy variables, the two significant factors that explain the severity of Covid-19 spread in a country are per-capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Yitzhaki's relative income deprivation index. Lagged value of new cases per million significantly explains cross-country variations in the daily case fatality rates. A higher proportion of the older population and pollution increased fatality rates while better medical infrastructure reduced it.
| S-EPMC10027304 | biostudies-literature