Healthcare utilisation, physical activity and mental health during COVID-19 lockdown: an interrupted time-series analysis of older adults in England

Jiunn Wang (), Anne Spencer (), Claire Hulme (), Anne Corbett (), Zunera Khan (), Miguel Vasconcelos Silva (), Siobhan O’Dwyer (), Natalie Wright (), Ingelin Testad (), Clive Ballard (), Byron Creese () and Richard Smith ()
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Jiunn Wang: University of Exeter
Anne Spencer: University of Exeter
Claire Hulme: University of Exeter
Anne Corbett: University of Exeter
Zunera Khan: King’s College London
Miguel Vasconcelos Silva: King’s College London
Siobhan O’Dwyer: University of Exeter
Natalie Wright: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
Ingelin Testad: University of Exeter
Clive Ballard: University of Exeter
Byron Creese: University of Exeter
Richard Smith: University of Exeter

European Journal of Ageing, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, No 62, 1617-1630

Abstract: Abstract COVID-19 measures which reduce interpersonal contact may be effective in containing the transmission, but their impacts on peoples’ well-being and daily lives overtime remain unclear. Older adults are more vulnerable to both the virus and social isolation. It is therefore imperative to understand how they were affected during this period. Major concerns arising from the pandemic cover the aspects of mental health, healthcare utilisation and individual behavioural changes. Complementing the existing before-and-after analyses, we explore the impacts of easing and re-introducing COVID-19 measures by using a time-series data in England. The data was collected between May and November 2020 from the monthly surveys of the Platform for Research Online to Investigate Genetics and Cognition in Aging (PROTECT). Chi-squared analysis and interrupted time-series analysis were conducted to examine impacts of easing and re-introducing COVID-19 measures. Overall, mental health improves overtime but at a decreasing rate. The use of telephone/video consultations with a doctor or health professional presented a decreasing trend during the pandemic, whilst that of in-person consultation was increasing overtime. We observed significant variations in the time trends of mental health measures, healthcare utilisation and physical activity following the ease but not the re-introduction of COVID-19 measures. Future research is required to understand if these asymmetric impacts were driven by adaption of the people or stringency of the measures.

Keywords: COVID-19 measures; Interrupted time-series analysis; Mental health; Healthcare utilisation; Physical activity; Social media (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s10433-022-00741-y

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