Unintended Consequences of COVID-19 Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) for Population Health and Health Inequalities

Coilín ÓhAiseadha (), Gerry A. Quinn, Ronan Connolly, Awwad Wilson, Michael Connolly, Willie Soon and Paul Hynds
Additional contact information
Coilín ÓhAiseadha: Department of Public Health, Health Service Executive, D08 W2A8 Dublin, Ireland
Gerry A. Quinn: Centre for Molecular Biosciences, Ulster University, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
Ronan Connolly: Independent Scientist, D08 Dublin, Ireland
Awwad Wilson: National Drug Treatment Centre, Health Service Executive, D02 NY26 Dublin, Ireland
Michael Connolly: Independent Scientist, D08 Dublin, Ireland
Willie Soon: Center for Environmental Research and Earth Sciences (CERES), Salem, MA 01970, USA
Paul Hynds: SpatioTemporal Environmental Epidemiology Research (STEER) Group, Environmental Sustainability & Health Institute, Technological University, D07 H6K8 Dublin, Ireland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 7, 1-40

Abstract: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, governments around the world have adopted an array of measures intended to control the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, using both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). NPIs are public health interventions that do not rely on vaccines or medicines and include policies such as lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, school closures, and travel restrictions. Although the intention was to slow viral transmission, emerging research indicates that these NPIs have also had unintended consequences for other aspects of public health. Hence, we conducted a narrative review of studies investigating these unintended consequences of NPIs, with a particular emphasis on mental health and on lifestyle risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCD): physical activity (PA), overweight and obesity, alcohol consumption, and tobacco smoking. We reviewed the scientific literature using combinations of search terms such as ‘COVID-19′, ‘pandemic’, ‘lockdowns’, ‘mental health’, ‘physical activity’, and ‘obesity’. NPIs were found to have considerable adverse consequences for mental health, physical activity, and overweight and obesity. The impacts on alcohol and tobacco consumption varied greatly within and between studies. The variability in consequences for different groups implies increased health inequalities by age, sex/gender, socioeconomic status, pre-existing lifestyle, and place of residence. In conclusion, a proper assessment of the use of NPIs in attempts to control the spread of the pandemic should be weighed against the potential adverse impacts on other aspects of public health. Our findings should also be of relevance for future pandemic preparedness and pandemic response teams.

Keywords: COVID-19; pandemic preparedness; non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs); unintended consequences; non-communicable disease (NCD); risk factors; health inequalities; inequities; social determinants of disease; evidence-informed policymaking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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