TY - JOUR
T1 - The longitudinal psychological, physical activity, and financial impact of a COVID-19 lockdown on older adults in Singapore
T2 - The PIONEER-COVID population-based study
AU - Lee, Ester Pei Xuan
AU - Man, Ryan Eyn Kidd
AU - Gan, Tau Liang Alfred
AU - Fenwick, Eva K.
AU - Aravindhan, Amudha
AU - Ho, Kam Chun
AU - Sung, Sharon Cohan
AU - Wong, Tien Yin
AU - Ho, Cyrus Su Hui
AU - Gupta, Preeti
AU - Lamoureux, Ecosse L.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the PIONEER‐COVID‐19 team for their help in data collection as well as Professor Fong Kok Yong and Professor Alex Cook for their valuable contribution to the paper. The authors are also grateful to all older Singaporean adults who participated in the study. This work was supported by the National Medical Research Council, Singapore (grant number NMRC/CSA‐SI/0009/2016).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2022/1
Y1 - 2022/1
N2 - Background: Several countries have implemented ‘lockdown’ measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Aims: To examine the psychological, physical activity (PA), and financial impact of a 2-month COVID-19 lockdown on older adults aged ≥60 years in Singapore, and to identify factors associated with adverse lockdown-related outcomes. Method: We interviewed 496 community-dwelling adults (mean age [standard deviation]: 73.8 [7.6] years; 54.8% female) during the lockdown who had previously participated in a population-based epidemiological study. Validated questionnaires were utilised to assess loneliness and depressive symptoms at both timepoints, while inhouse questionnaires were used to assess PA and financial difficulty during lockdown. Multivariable regression models determined the lockdown-related change in loneliness and depression scores, and the factors associated with adverse outcomes. Results: Loneliness increased significantly during the lockdown period (p < 0.001) while depressive symptoms decreased (p = 0.022). Decreased PA, greater financial problems, male gender, Indian ethnicity, living alone, having a greater body mass index and perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 were all associated with worsening loneliness scores. A total of 36.9% and 19.6% participants reported decreased PA and had financial problems during the lockdown, respectively. Unemployment was associated with decreased PA, while self-employed individuals, cleaners, retail workers and smokers had greater odds of experiencing financial difficulty. Conclusion: Despite a decrease in depressive symptoms, our population of older Asians reported a significant increase in loneliness and decreased PA, with one-fifth experiencing financial problems during lockdown. Our data suggest that more targeted public health efforts are needed to reduce repercussions of future lockdowns.
AB - Background: Several countries have implemented ‘lockdown’ measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Aims: To examine the psychological, physical activity (PA), and financial impact of a 2-month COVID-19 lockdown on older adults aged ≥60 years in Singapore, and to identify factors associated with adverse lockdown-related outcomes. Method: We interviewed 496 community-dwelling adults (mean age [standard deviation]: 73.8 [7.6] years; 54.8% female) during the lockdown who had previously participated in a population-based epidemiological study. Validated questionnaires were utilised to assess loneliness and depressive symptoms at both timepoints, while inhouse questionnaires were used to assess PA and financial difficulty during lockdown. Multivariable regression models determined the lockdown-related change in loneliness and depression scores, and the factors associated with adverse outcomes. Results: Loneliness increased significantly during the lockdown period (p < 0.001) while depressive symptoms decreased (p = 0.022). Decreased PA, greater financial problems, male gender, Indian ethnicity, living alone, having a greater body mass index and perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 were all associated with worsening loneliness scores. A total of 36.9% and 19.6% participants reported decreased PA and had financial problems during the lockdown, respectively. Unemployment was associated with decreased PA, while self-employed individuals, cleaners, retail workers and smokers had greater odds of experiencing financial difficulty. Conclusion: Despite a decrease in depressive symptoms, our population of older Asians reported a significant increase in loneliness and decreased PA, with one-fifth experiencing financial problems during lockdown. Our data suggest that more targeted public health efforts are needed to reduce repercussions of future lockdowns.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118887585&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/gps.5645
DO - 10.1002/gps.5645
M3 - Article
C2 - 34727407
AN - SCOPUS:85118887585
SN - 0885-6230
VL - 37
SP - 1
EP - 10
JO - International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
JF - International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
IS - 1
M1 - GPS5645
ER -
