Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:33:18.782Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of the COVID-19 on Perceptions of Health, Anticipated Need for Health Services, and Cost of Health Care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2021

Natalia Rekhter Open the ORCID record for Natalia Rekhter [Opens in a new window]  and
Natalia Ermasova
Natalia Rekhter*
Affiliation:
Health Administration Department, College of Health and Human Services, Governors State University, University Park, Illinois USA
Natalia Ermasova
Affiliation:
Public Policy and Administration Unit, College of Arts and Sciences, Governors State University, University Park, Illinois USA
*
Corresponding author: Natalia Rekhter, Email: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

This article investigates how perceived vulnerability to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at its early stages is associated with people’s perception of their health, the need for health-care services, and expenses related to addressing the COVID-19 impact on their health.

Methods:

The results are based on the analysis of surveys that were distributed among members of 26 random Facebook groups in April-May, 2020. Perceived COVID-19 pandemic related stress and health concerns were examined by using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.

Results:

Among 315 respondents, 64% have experienced COVID-19 related stress and identified anxiety, headache, insomnia, and weight gain as their primary health concerns. The ANOVA test revealed that females are more impacted by the COVID-19 stress than males. Around 40% of respondents believed that the COVID-19 would lead to an increase in the cost of health services, and 20% of respondents anticipated that the COVID-19 pandemic would increase their need for health services.

Conclusions:

Learning about how people perceive the COVID-19 pandemic impact on their health, particularly in the pandemic’s early stages can allow health professionals to develop targeted interventions that can influence pandemic preventative behaviors among different population groups. This study can help understand use patterns and mitigate financial barriers that could interfere with patients’ care-seeking behavior.

Keywords

perceived stressCOVID-19 pandemichealth concernshealthcare serviceshealthcare access; healthcare cost
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 6 , December 2022 , pp. 2539 - 2545
Copyright
© Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

WHO. 2020. Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation report – 1. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/330760. Accessed June 12, 2021.Google Scholar
WHO. 2020. Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation report – 5. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200125-sitrep-5-2019-ncov.pdf?sfvrsn=429b143d_8. Accessed June 12, 2021.Google Scholar
WHO. 2020. Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation report – 11. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/330776. Accessed June 12, 2021.Google Scholar
WHO. 2020. Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation report – 51. World Health Organisation. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/331475. Accessed June 12, 2021.Google Scholar
Balwin, R, Weder di Mauro, B. Economics in the Time of COVID-19. London: CEPR Press; 2020.Google Scholar
McKibbin, WJ, Fernando, R. The global macroeconomic impacts of COVID-19: seven scenarios. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-global-macroeconomic-impacts-of-covid-19-seven-scenarios/. Published March 5, 2020. Accessed May 2, 2021.Google Scholar
Wenzel, M, Stanske, S, Lieberman, MB. Strategic responses to crisis. Strategic Manag J. 2020;42(2):016-027. doi: 10.1002/smj.3161 Google Scholar
Wiedemann, PM, Dorl, W. Be alarmed. Some reflections about the COVID-19 risk communication in Germany. J Risk Res. 2020;23(7/8):1036-1046. doi: 10.1080/13669877.2020.1825984 Google Scholar
Baloran, ET. Knowledge, attitudes, anxiety, and coping strategies of students during COVID-19 pandemic. I Loss Trauma. 2020;25(8):635-642. doi: 10.1080/15325024.2020.1769300 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, S, Janicki-Deverts, D, Miller, GE. Psychological stress and disease. JAMA. 2007;298(14):1685-1687. doi: 10.1001/jama.298.14.1685 Google ScholarPubMed
Cohen, S, Janicki-Deverts, D. Who’s stressed? Distributions of psychological stress in the United States in probability samples from 1983, 2006, and 2009. J Appl Soc Psychol. 2012;42(6):1320-1334. doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2012.00900.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaughan, E. Risk perceptions and self-protective behavior. Health Psychol. 1993;12:74-85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Betsch, C, Wieler, LH, Habersaat, K. Monitoring behavioural insights related to COVID-19. Lancet. 2020;395(10232):1255-1256. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30729-7 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Floyd, DL, Prentice-Dunn, S, Rogers, RW. A meta-analysis of research on protection motivation theory. J Appl Soc Psychol. 2000;30(2):407-429. doi: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2000.tb02323.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rudisill, C. How do we handle new health risks? Risk perception, optimism, and behaviors regarding the H1N1 virus. J Risk Res. 2013;16(8):959-980. doi: 10.1080/13669877.2012.761271 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prati, G, Pietrantoni, L, Zani, B. A social-cognitive model of pandemic influenza H1N1 risk perception and recommended behaviors in Italy. Risk Anal. 2011;31(4):645-656. doi: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01529.x Google ScholarPubMed
Yang, JZ, Chu, H. Who is afraid of the Ebola outbreak? The influence of discrete emotions on risk perception. J Risk Res. 2018;21(7):834-853. doi: 10.1080/13669877.2016.1247378 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wise, T, Zbozinek, TD, Michelini, G, et al. Changes in risk perception and protective behavior during the first week of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. PsyArXiv. 2020. doi: 10.31234/osf.io/dz428 Google ScholarPubMed
Ermasova, N, Cross, AD, Ermasova, E. Perceived stress and coping among law enforcement officers: an empirical analysis of patrol versus non-patrol officers in Illinois, USA. J Police Crim Psychol. 2020;35(1):48-63. doi: 10.1007/s11896-019-09356-z CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ceka, E, Ermasova, N. Use of employee assistance programs to manage stress in policing: the effects of perceived adequacy of assistance and opportunity for promotion. Policing (Bradford). 2020;44(2):291-313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCreary, DR, Thompson, MM. Development of two reliable and valid measures of stressors in policing: the operational and organizational police stress questionnaires. Int J Stress Manage. 2006;13:494-518.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tankovska, H. Facebook user share in the United States 2021, by gender. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/266879/facebook-users-in-the-us-by-gender/. Published February 1, 2021. Accessed May 2, 2021.Google Scholar
Gramlich, J. 10 facts about Americans and Facebook. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/16/facts-about-americans-and-facebook/. Published July 31, 2020. Accessed May 2, 2021.Google Scholar
Burke, RM, Midgley, CM, Dratch, A, et al. Active monitoring of persons exposed to patients with confirmed COVID-19 - United States, January-February 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(9):245-246. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6909e1 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, J. Mental health effect of school closures during COVID-19. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2020;4(6):421. doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30109-7 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roy, D, Tripathy, S, Kar, SK, et al. Study of knowledge, attitude, anxiety & perceived mental healthcare need in Indian population during COVID-19 pandemic. Asian J Psychiatr. 2020;51:102083. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102083 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wang, C, Pan, R, Wan, X, et al. A longitudinal study on the mental health of general population during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Brain Behav Immun. 2020;87:40-48. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.028 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
American College Health Association. American College Health Association National College Health Assessment II: Reference Group Executive Summary Fall 2017. Hanover: American College Health Association; 2018.Google Scholar
Bangasser, DA, Eck, SR, Telenson, AM, et al. Sex differences in stress regulation of arousal and cognition. Physiol Behav. 2018;187:42-50. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.09.025 Google ScholarPubMed
Liu, N, Zhang, F, Wei, C, et al. Prevalence and predictors of PTSS during COVID-19 outbreak in China hardest-hit areas: gender differences matter. Psychiatry Res. 2020;287:112921. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112921 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Senst, L, Baimoukhametova, D, Sterley, T-L, et al. Sexually dimorphic neuronal responses to social isolation. eLife. 2016;5:e18726. doi: 10.7554/eLife.18726.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van Beusekom, I, Bakhshi-Raiez, F, van der Schaaf, M, et al. The influence of clinical variables on the risk of developing chronic conditions in ICU survivors. J Crit Care. 2020 Feb;55:134-139. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2019.10.014 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spagnolo, PA, Manson, JE, Joffe, H. Sex and gender differences in health: what the COVID-19 pandemic can teach us. Ann Intern Med. 2020;173(5):385-386. doi: 10.7326/M20-1941 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sharma, G, Volgman, AS, Michos, ED. Sex differences in mortality From COVID-19 pandemic: are men vulnerable and women protected? JACC Case Rep. 2020;2(9):1407-1410. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2020.04.027 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freed, M, Cubanski, J, Neuman, T, et al. What share of people who have died of COVID-19 are 65 and older – and how does it vary by state? Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-COVID-19/issue-brief/what-share-of-people-who-have-died-of-COVID-19-are-65-and-older-and-how-does-it-vary-by-stat. Published July 24, 2020. Accessed May 2, 2021.Google Scholar
Martin, M, Grünendahl, M, Martin, P. Age differences in stress, social resources, and well-being in middle and older age. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2001;56(4):P214-P222. doi: 10.1093/geronb/56.4.P214 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, RS, Begeny, CT, Boyle, PA, et al. Vulnerability to stress, anxiety, and development of dementia in old age. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011;19(4):327-334. doi: 10.1097/JGP.0b013e31820119da CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Webb Hooper, M, Nápoles, AM, Pérez-Stable, EJ. COVID-19 and racial/ethnic disparities. JAMA. 2020;323(24):2466-2467. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.8598 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boyraz, G, Legros, DN. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and traumatic stress: probable risk factors and correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder. J Loss Trauma. 2020;25(6/7):503-522. doi: 10.1080/15325024.2020.1763556 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Twenge, JM, Joiner, TE. US Census bureau-assessed prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in 2019 and during the 2020 covid-19 pandemic. Depress Anxiety. 2020;37(10):954-956. doi: 10.1002/da.23077 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, D. Intraindividual and interindividual analyses of positive and negative affect: their relation to health complaints, perceived stress, and daily activities. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988;54(6):1020-1030. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1020 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, D, Pennebaker, JW. Health complaints, stress, and distress: exploring the central role of negative affectivity. Psychol Rev. 1989;96(2):234-254. doi: 10.1037/0033-295x.96.2.234 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Selye, H. Stress in Health and Disease. Boston: The Butterworth Group; 2013.Google Scholar
Moreno, C, Wykes, T, Galderisi, S, et al. How mental health care should change as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7(9):813-824. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30307-2 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mviena, JLM, Fanne, M, Gondo, R, et al. How mental health care is changing in Cameroon because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7(10):e62-e63. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30390-4 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Li, J, Yang, Z, Qiu, H, et al. Anxiety and depression among general population in China at the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic. World Psychiatry. 2020;19(2):249-250. doi: 10.1002/wps.20758 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fullana, MA, Hidalgo-Mazzei, D, Vieta, E, et al. Coping behaviors associated with decreased anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. J Affect Disord. 2020;275:80-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.027 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
American Health Association. New AHA report finds financial impact of COVID-19 on hospital; health systems to be over $200 billion through June: AHA. American Hospital Association. https://www.aha.org/press-releases/2020-05-05-new-aha-report-finds-financial-impact-covid-19-hospitals-health-systems. Published May 5, 2020. Accessed May 2, 2021.Google Scholar
Ihaji, E, Gerald, E, Ogwuche, CH. Educational level, sex and church affiliation on health seeking behaviour among parishioners in Makurdi metropolis of Benue state. J Educ Policy Entrepren Res. 2014;1:311-316 Google Scholar
Oberoi, S, Chaudhary, N, Patnaik, S, et al. Understanding health seeking behavior. J Family Med Prim Care. 2016;5(2):463-464. doi: 10.4103/2249-4863.192376 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andersen, RM. Revisiting the behavioral model and access to medical care: does it matter? J Health Soc Behav. 1995;36(1):1-10. doi: 10.2307/2137284 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lauver, D. A theory of care-seeking behavior. Image J Nurs Sch. 1992;24(4):281-287. doi: 10.1111/j.1547-5069.1992.tb00734.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, TMC, Chi, I, Chung, LWM, et al. Ageing and psychological response during the post-SARS period. Aging Ment Health. 2006;10(3):303-311. doi: 10.1080/13607860600638545 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed