Long-Term Consequences of COVID-19 Disease Specific to Women: Exploratory Research

Karolina Juszko, Patryk Szary, Justyna Mazurek (), Sebastian Rutkowski, Błażej Cieślik, Joanna Szczepańska-Gieracha and Robert Gajda
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Karolina Juszko: Faculty of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland
Patryk Szary: Faculty of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland
Justyna Mazurek: University Rehabilitation Centre, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
Sebastian Rutkowski: Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy, Opole University of Technology, 45-758 Opole, Poland
Błażej Cieślik: Healthcare Innovation Technology Lab, IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, 30126 Venezia, Italy
Joanna Szczepańska-Gieracha: Faculty of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland
Robert Gajda: Gajda-Med District Hospital, 06-100 Pultusk, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: This study was designed to explore COVID-19 in a biopsychosocial model, taking into account the different mental and social consequences of the disease in women and men. A sociodemographic questionnaire containing anthropometric data, socioeconomic data, lifestyle data, health status before COVID-19, course of COVID-19, symptoms, and complications after COVID-19 was administered to 83 women and 64 men to investigate their mental health (MH) and quality of life (QoL). The Hospital Anxiety (HADS-A) and Depression (HADS-D) Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) were adopted. Abnormal results in HADS-D and HADS-A were obtained in 33 (39.8%) women and 10 (15.6%) men and in 26 (31.3%) women and 14 (21.9%) men, respectively. Women experienced a lower level of QoL than men. The prolonged duration of COVID-19 symptoms was associated with increased anxiety in women during recovery. Good self-reported health before COVID-19 in women was associated with reduced QoL. Women had more symptoms of COVID-19 than men, and they experienced neurological complications more often. The presence of neurological complications in women appears to be associated with increased perceived anxiety and reduced QoL. This is an exploratory study whose results can influence future research with larger and more diverse samples.

Keywords: COVID-19; gender differences; long-term consequences of COVID-19 disease; mental health; quality of life; challenges; healthcare professionals; management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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