TY - JOUR
T1 - Vulnerable populations during COVID-19 response
T2 - Health-related quality of life among Chinese population and its influence due to socio-demographic factors and loneliness
AU - Wong, Eliza Lai Yi
AU - Li, Jia
AU - Yuen, Shannon
AU - Lai, Angel Hor Yan
AU - Cheung, Annie Wai Ling
AU - Yau, Peter Sen Yung
AU - Yeoh, Eng Kiong
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (2017/0096/F).
Funding Information:
We are thankful for the participants in this survey. We also thank Ms. Nellie Wong for the support in data collection and monitoring the quality of data. The financial support of the Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research is from The Tung's Foundation.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Wong, Li, Yuen, Lai, Cheung, Yau and Yeoh.
PY - 2022/8/15
Y1 - 2022/8/15
N2 - Background: Infection control policy affected people's wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those vulnerable populations. This study aimed to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the Hong Kong (HK) Chinese population under the pandemic with the normative profiles and explore its influencing factors, including socio-demographic characteristics, loneliness, and the interaction between them. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey (301 online and 202 in-person) was conducted between June and December 2020 among the adult Chinese population during the 2nd wave of COVID-19 in HK. HRQoL was measured by a Hong Kong validated EQ-5D-5L instrument (EQ-5D-5L HK). Loneliness was measured by a single-item question regarding the frequency of the participants reporting feeling lonely and their subjective social status was measured by the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status. A series of Tobit regressions was conducted. The interaction terms between socio-demographics and loneliness were also examined to decide their association with HRQoL. Results: A total of 503 responses were collected. The level of HRQoL of the respondents was significantly lower than the referred norms profile among the local general population. The findings identified that younger age, single, a higher subjective social status, and a lower level of loneliness were significantly associated with better HRQoL. Moreover, age and marital status were significant moderators in the relationship between loneliness and HRQoL. Conclusion: The present study found that some population groups face additional vulnerabilities during the pandemic in terms of declined HRQoL. In addition, reducing loneliness can protect the HRQoL during the pandemic, especially among older people. This article provides useful information for policy-makers to design and promote effective services or provide education to improve the connection of people and recover from the global pandemic.
AB - Background: Infection control policy affected people's wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those vulnerable populations. This study aimed to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the Hong Kong (HK) Chinese population under the pandemic with the normative profiles and explore its influencing factors, including socio-demographic characteristics, loneliness, and the interaction between them. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey (301 online and 202 in-person) was conducted between June and December 2020 among the adult Chinese population during the 2nd wave of COVID-19 in HK. HRQoL was measured by a Hong Kong validated EQ-5D-5L instrument (EQ-5D-5L HK). Loneliness was measured by a single-item question regarding the frequency of the participants reporting feeling lonely and their subjective social status was measured by the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status. A series of Tobit regressions was conducted. The interaction terms between socio-demographics and loneliness were also examined to decide their association with HRQoL. Results: A total of 503 responses were collected. The level of HRQoL of the respondents was significantly lower than the referred norms profile among the local general population. The findings identified that younger age, single, a higher subjective social status, and a lower level of loneliness were significantly associated with better HRQoL. Moreover, age and marital status were significant moderators in the relationship between loneliness and HRQoL. Conclusion: The present study found that some population groups face additional vulnerabilities during the pandemic in terms of declined HRQoL. In addition, reducing loneliness can protect the HRQoL during the pandemic, especially among older people. This article provides useful information for policy-makers to design and promote effective services or provide education to improve the connection of people and recover from the global pandemic.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - EQ-5D-5L
KW - health-related quality of life
KW - loneliness
KW - vulnerable populations
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85137588832
U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2022.857033
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2022.857033
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36081475
AN - SCOPUS:85137588832
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 857033
ER -
