TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceived impacts of COVID-19 on wellbeing among US working-age adults with ADL difficulty
AU - Pendergrast, Claire B.
AU - Monnat, Shannon M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted people with disabilities. Working-age adults with ADL difficulty may face unique challenges and heightened health risks because of the pandemic. It is critical to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on social, financial, physical, and mental wellbeing among people with disabilities to inform more inclusive pandemic response policies. Objective: This study compares perceived COVID-19 physical and mental health, social, and financial impacts for US working-age adults with and without ADL difficulty. Methods: We analyzed data from a national survey of US working-age adults (aged 18–64) conducted in February and March 2021 (N = 3697). We used logistic regression to compare perceived COVID-19-related impacts on physical and mental health, healthcare access, social relationships, and financial wellbeing among those with and without ADL difficulty. Results: Adults with ADL difficulty were more likely to report negative COVID-19 impacts for many but not all outcomes. Net of covariates, adults with ADL difficulty had significantly greater odds of reporting COVID-19 infection (OR = 2.1) and hospitalization (OR = 6.7), negative physical health impacts (OR = 2.0), and negative impacts on family relationships (OR = 1.6). However, they had significantly lower odds of losing a friend or family member to COVID-19 (OR = 0.7). There were no significant differences in perceived impacts on mental health, ability to see a doctor, relationships with friends, or financial wellbeing. Conclusions: Working-age adults with ADL difficulty experienced disproportionate health and social harm due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address these disparities, public health response efforts and social policies supporting pandemic recovery must include disability perspectives.
AB - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted people with disabilities. Working-age adults with ADL difficulty may face unique challenges and heightened health risks because of the pandemic. It is critical to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on social, financial, physical, and mental wellbeing among people with disabilities to inform more inclusive pandemic response policies. Objective: This study compares perceived COVID-19 physical and mental health, social, and financial impacts for US working-age adults with and without ADL difficulty. Methods: We analyzed data from a national survey of US working-age adults (aged 18–64) conducted in February and March 2021 (N = 3697). We used logistic regression to compare perceived COVID-19-related impacts on physical and mental health, healthcare access, social relationships, and financial wellbeing among those with and without ADL difficulty. Results: Adults with ADL difficulty were more likely to report negative COVID-19 impacts for many but not all outcomes. Net of covariates, adults with ADL difficulty had significantly greater odds of reporting COVID-19 infection (OR = 2.1) and hospitalization (OR = 6.7), negative physical health impacts (OR = 2.0), and negative impacts on family relationships (OR = 1.6). However, they had significantly lower odds of losing a friend or family member to COVID-19 (OR = 0.7). There were no significant differences in perceived impacts on mental health, ability to see a doctor, relationships with friends, or financial wellbeing. Conclusions: Working-age adults with ADL difficulty experienced disproportionate health and social harm due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address these disparities, public health response efforts and social policies supporting pandemic recovery must include disability perspectives.
KW - Activities of daily living
KW - COVID-19
KW - Disability
KW - Health
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U2 - 10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101337
DO - 10.1016/j.dhjo.2022.101337
M3 - Article
C2 - 35643600
AN - SCOPUS:85131054597
SN - 1936-6574
VL - 15
JO - Disability and Health Journal
JF - Disability and Health Journal
IS - 4
M1 - 101337
ER -