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Global impacts of COVID-19 on lifestyles and health and preparation preferences: An international survey of 30 countries

Li J 1 , Fong DYT 1 , Lok KYW 1 , Wong JYH 2 , Man Ho M 1 , Choi EPH 1 Show all authors , Pandian V 3 , Davidson PM 4 , Duan W 5 , Tarrant M 6 , Lee JJ 1 , Lin CC 1 , Akingbade O 7 , Alabdulwahhab KM 8 , Ahmad MS 9 , Alboraie M 10 , Alzahrani MA 11 , Bilimale AS 12 , Boonpatcharanon S 13 , Byiringiro S 3 , Hasan MKC 14 , Schettini LC 15 , Corzo W 16 , De Leon JM 17 , De Leon AS 17 , Deek H 18 , Efficace F 19 , El Nayal MA 20 , El-Raey F 21 , Ensaldo-Carrasco E 22 , Escotorin P 23 , Fadodun OA 24 , Fawole IO 25 , Goh YS 26 , Irawan D 27 , Khan NE 28 , Koirala B 3 , Krishna A 29 , Kwok C 30 , Le TT 31 , Leal DG 32 , Lezana-Fernández MÁ 33 , Manirambona E 34 , Mantoani LC 35 , Meneses-González F 33 , Mohamed IE 36 , Mukeshimana M 37 , Nguyen CTM 31 , Nguyen HTT 31 , Nguyen KT 31 , Nguyen ST 31 , Nurumal MS 14 , Nzabonimana A 38 , Omer NAMA 39 , Ogungbe O 3 , Poon ACY 40 , Reséndiz-Rodriguez A 41 , Puang-Ngern B 13 , Sagun CG 17 , Shaik RA 9 , Shankar NG 42 , Sommer K 19 , Toro E 32 , Tran HTH 31 , Urgel EL 17 , Uwiringiyimana E 34 , Vanichbuncha T 13 , Youssef N 43

Affiliations 

  • 1 School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
  • 2 School of Nursing and Health Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong SAR, China
  • 3 School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  • 4 Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
  • 5 Department of Social Work, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
  • 6 School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna British Columbia, Canada
  • 7 The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • 8 College of Medicine, Maimaah University, Al Majmaah, Saudi Arabia
  • 9 Department of Family & Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia
  • 10 Department of Internal Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
  • 11 Department of Urology, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah, Saudi Arabia
  • 12 School of Public Health, JSS Medical College, JSS AHER, Mysuru, India
  • 13 Department of Statistics, Chulalongkorn Business School, Bangkok, Thailand
  • 14 Kulliyyah of Nursing, International Islamic University, Kuantan, Malaysia
  • 15 Italian Association against Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma (AIL) - Rome Section, Italy
  • 16 Diálogos Guatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala
  • 17 School of Nursing, Centro Escolar University, Manila, Philippines
  • 18 Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Science, Beirut Arab University, Lebanon
  • 19 Italian Group for Adult Hematologic Diseases (GIMEMA), Data Center and Health Outcomes Research Unit, Rome, Italy
  • 20 Department of Psychology, Beirut Arab University, Lebanon
  • 21 Department of hepatogastroenterology and infectious diseases, Damietta faculty of medicine, Al-Azher University, Egypt
  • 22 Ergonomics Research Center (ECR), University of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
  • 23 Laboratory of Applied Prosocial Research, Department of Basic, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain
  • 24 Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
  • 25 Faculty of Nursing, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Nigeria
  • 26 Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore
  • 27 School of Nursing, Wijaya Husada Health Institute, Bogor, Indonesia
  • 28 Department of Optometry, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
  • 29 Ecove, Ghaziabad, India
  • 30 School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Health Care Science, Charles Sturt University, New South Wales, Australia
  • 31 Nam Dinh University of Nursing, Nam Dinh, Vietnam
  • 32 Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, School of Social Work, Valparaíso, Chile
  • 33 Research Department, National Commission for Medical Arbitration, Mexico, Mexico
  • 34 College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
  • 35 Laboratory of Research in Respiratory Physiotherapy (LFIP), Department of Physiotherapy, State University of Londrina (UEL) - Londrina, Brazil
  • 36 Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Benghazi University, Libya
  • 37 School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
  • 38 Center for Language Enhancement, College of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Rwanda, Huye, Rwanda
  • 39 Faculty of Medicine, Alzaiem Alazhari University, Khartoum North, Sudan
  • 40 Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao
  • 41 National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico
  • 42 Mental Health and Learning division, Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Wrexham, United Kingdom
  • 43 Medical-surgical Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Cairo University, Egypt
J Glob Health, 2023 Aug 11;13:06031.
PMID: 37565394 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.13.06031

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The health area being greatest impacted by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and residents' perspective to better prepare for future pandemic remain unknown. We aimed to assess and make cross-country and cross-region comparisons of the global impacts of COVID-19 and preparation preferences of pandemic.

METHODS: We recruited adults in 30 countries covering all World Health Organization (WHO) regions from July 2020 to August 2021. 5 Likert-point scales were used to measure their perceived change in 32 aspects due to COVID-19 (-2 = substantially reduced to 2 = substantially increased) and perceived importance of 13 preparations (1 = not important to 5 = extremely important). Samples were stratified by age and gender in the corresponding countries. Multidimensional preference analysis displays disparities between 30 countries, WHO regions, economic development levels, and COVID-19 severity levels.

RESULTS: 16 512 adults participated, with 10 351 females. Among 32 aspects of impact, the most affected were having a meal at home (mean (m) = 0.84, standard error (SE) = 0.01), cooking at home (m = 0.78, SE = 0.01), social activities (m = -0.68, SE = 0.01), duration of screen time (m = 0.67, SE = 0.01), and duration of sitting (m = 0.59, SE = 0.01). Alcohol (m = -0.36, SE = 0.01) and tobacco (m = -0.38, SE = 0.01) consumption declined moderately. Among 13 preparations, respondents rated medicine delivery (m = 3.50, SE = 0.01), getting prescribed medicine in a hospital visit / follow-up in a community pharmacy (m = 3.37, SE = 0.01), and online shopping (m = 3.33, SE = 0.02) as the most important. The multidimensional preference analysis showed the European Region, Region of the Americas, Western Pacific Region and countries with a high-income level or medium to high COVID-19 severity were more adversely impacted on sitting and screen time duration and social activities, whereas other regions and countries experienced more cooking and eating at home. Countries with a high-income level or medium to high COVID-19 severity reported higher perceived mental burden and emotional distress. Except for low- and lower-middle-income countries, medicine delivery was always prioritised.

CONCLUSIONS: Global increasing sitting and screen time and limiting social activities deserve as much attention as mental health. Besides, the pandemic has ushered in a notable enhancement in lifestyle of home cooking and eating, while simultaneously reducing the consumption of tobacco and alcohol. A health care system and technological infrastructure that facilitate medicine delivery, medicine prescription, and online shopping are priorities for coping with future pandemics.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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