Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Self-Reported Mood and Self-Rated Health amongst Community-Dwelling Adults with Chronic Disease and Functional Impairment
Introduction and aim: To determine whether COVID-19 lockdown had an effect on self-reported mood or self-related health in a large cohort of community-dwelling adults with chronic disease and functional impairment.
Methods: Repeated cross-sectional study using secondary data. The study population was New Zealanders aged 40+ years who underwent International Residential Instrument (interRAI) assessments in the year prior to COVID-19 lockdown (25 March 2019 – 24 March 2020) or in the year following COVID-19 lockdown (25 March 2020 – 24 March 2021). Pairwise comparisons were made between each pre-lockdown quarter with its respective post-lockdown quarter to account for seasonality patterns. Data from a total of 100,796 assessments were analysed. Outcomes were self-reported mood (sad/hopeless/depressed vs not sad/hopeless/depressed) and self-rated health (fair/poor vs excellent/good) recorded in the interRAI assessment. Outcomes were stratified by age, gender, ethnicity, living arrangement, and area deprivation.o
Results: Bivariate analysis indicated that there was a statistically significant improvement in self-reported mood in the first quarter post-lockdown among those aged 80+, as well as among women, people of European ethnicity, and those living alone. There was an improvement in self-rated health in these same groups, and among people living in areas of low deprivation. No differences in self-reported mood or self-reported health were found in the second, third, or fourth quarters post-lockdown.
Conclusion: Self-reported mood and self-rated health of community-dwelling adults with chronic disease were not negatively affected in the year following COVID-19 lockdown, and may have temporarily improved among some sub-groups in this population. However, the longer-term health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population will need to be closely monitored.
Introduction and aim: To determine whether COVID-19 lockdown had an effect on self-reported mood or self-related health in a large cohort of community-dwelling adults with chronic disease and functional impairment.
Methods: Repeated cross-sectional study using secondary data. The study population was New Zealanders aged 40+ years who underwent International Residential Instrument (interRAI) assessments in the year prior to COVID-19 lockdown (25 March 2019 – 24 March 2020) or in the year following COVID-19 lockdown (25 March 2020 – 24 March 2021). Pairwise comparisons were made between each pre-lockdown quarter with its respective post-lockdown quarter to account for seasonality patterns. Data from a total of 100,796 assessments were analysed. Outcomes were self-reported mood (sad/hopeless/depressed vs not sad/hopeless/depressed) and self-rated health (fair/poor vs excellent/good) recorded in the interRAI assessment. Outcomes were stratified by age, gender, ethnicity, living arrangement, and area deprivation.o
Results: Bivariate analysis indicated that there was a statistically significant improvement in self-reported mood in the first quarter post-lockdown among those aged 80+, as well as among women, people of European ethnicity, and those living alone. There was an improvement in self-rated health in these same groups, and among people living in areas of low deprivation. No differences in self-reported mood or self-reported health were found in the second, third, or fourth quarters post-lockdown.
Conclusion: Self-reported mood and self-rated health of community-dwelling adults with chronic disease were not negatively affected in the year following COVID-19 lockdown, and may have temporarily improved among some sub-groups in this population. However, the longer-term health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population will need to be closely monitored.
