Health-related quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic: The impact of restrictive measures using data from two Dutch population-based cohort studies
van Hagen, Cheyenne C E; Huiberts, Anne J; Mutubuki, Elizabeth N; de Melker, Hester E; Vos, Eric R A; van de Wijgert, Janneke H H M; van den Hof, Susan; Knol, Mirjam J; van Hoek, Albert Jan
(2024) PLoS ONE, volume 19, issue 3
(Article)
Abstract
Objectives We describe health-related quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in the general Dutch population and correlations with restrictive measures. Methods Data were obtained from 18–85 year-old participants of two population-based cohort studies (February 2021-July 2022): PIENTER Corona (n = 8,019) and VASCO (n = 45,413). Per cohort, mean
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scores of mental and physical health and health utility from the SF-12 were calculated by age group, sex and presence of a medical risk condition. Spearman correlations with stringency of measures were calculated. Results Both cohorts showed comparable results. Participants <30 years had lowest health utility and mental health score, and highest physical health score. Health utility and mental health score increased with age (up to 79 years), while physical health score decreased with age. Women and participants with a medical risk condition scored lower than their counterparts. Fluctuations were small over time but most pronounced among participants <60 years, and correlated weakly, but mostly positively with measure stringency. Conclusions During the Dutch COVID-19 epidemic, health utility and mental health scores were lower and fluctuated strongest among young adults compared to older adults. In our study population, age, sex and presence of a medical risk condition seemed to have more impact on health scores than stringency of COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions.
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Keywords: Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, COVID-19/epidemiology, Cohort Studies, Female, Humans, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Pandemics, Quality of Life/psychology, Young Adult, Journal Article
ISSN: 1932-6203
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Note: Publisher Copyright: © 2024 van Hagen et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
(Peer reviewed)