Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health and Social Wellbeing in Low-socioeconomic Status Seniors
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges for all age groups, with older adults being disproportionately affected as some of the most vulnerable people in society. Low-socioeconomic status (SES) older adults experience further challenges surrounding mental health, social wellbeing, and food insecurity. Given the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, it is important to understand the extent of the impact COVID-19 has had on this population, with the ultimate goal of identifying gaps in care services for low-SES seniors and opportunities for improved programming. In this cross-sectional mixed methods study, 93 low-SES seniors living in two affordable housing communities in the East Bay Area were surveyed. Around 76% of participants were aged 70 or older, 72% were female, and 58% identified as non-Hispanic White. In the printed 6-page questionnaire, participants were asked to reflect on their experiences prior to the pandemic and compare them to their present state, one year into the pandemic. Following survey collection, a subset of five respondents was interviewed over the phone to identify key themes. Statistical analyses on the survey data showed that as compared to pre-COVID-19, participants indicated a significant decline in their diet and nutrition, physical health, sleep quality, mental health, and social networks. In terms of social wellbeing, there was a decline in feelings of connectedness to one’s community and time spent eating in the company of others, and an increase in feelings of loneliness and isolation. However, perceptions of general support and having people to turn to did not decline. Interview data generally confirmed survey findings, with participants, two of whom had lost partners during the pandemic, frequently citing feelings of anxiety and intense isolation from friends. Finally, participants indicated a need for better COVID-19 informational services and programming. These results reveal the need for increased safe social programming and outlets for low-SES seniors who often suffer from poorer mental and physical health at baseline. The findings help reveal the changing needs of seniors during this challenging time and urge the development of solutions to improve health and wellbeing in the low-SES senior population, especially during periods of crisis involving social restrictions.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | August 31, 2021 |
| Date modified | December 5, 2022 |
| Publication date | October 4, 2021 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Kumar, Komal |
|---|
Subjects
| Subject | Older people |
|---|---|
| Subject | Older people > Care |
| Subject | COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-) |
| Subject | Health |
| Subject | low-income |
| Genre | Text |
| Genre | Thesis |
Bibliographic information
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- Use and reproduction
- User agrees that, where applicable, content will not be used to identify or to otherwise infringe the privacy or confidentiality rights of individuals. Content distributed via the Stanford Digital Repository may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor.
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY).
Preferred citation
- Preferred citation
- Kumar, K. (2021). Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health and Social Wellbeing in Low-socioeconomic Status Seniors. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at https://purl.stanford.edu/zs188rv5279
Collection
Community Health and Prevention Research (CHPR) Master of Science Theses
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- Contact
- komal0719@gmail.com
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