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Chan JK, Marzuki AA, Vafa S, Thanaraju A, Yap J, Chan XW, Harris HA, Todi K, Schaefer A. A systematic review on the relationship between socioeconomic conditions and emotional disorder symptoms during Covid-19: unearthing the potential role of economic concerns and financial strain. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:237. [PMID: 38671542 PMCID: PMC11046828 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01715-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Covid-19 has disrupted the lives of many and resulted in high prevalence rates of mental disorders. Despite a vast amount of research into the social determinants of mental health during Covid-19, little is known about whether the results are consistent with the social gradient in mental health. Here we report a systematic review of studies that investigated how socioeconomic condition (SEC)-a multifaceted construct that measures a person's socioeconomic standing in society, using indicators such as education and income, predicts emotional health (depression and anxiety) risk during the pandemic. Furthermore, we examined which classes of SEC indicators would best predict symptoms of emotional disorders. METHODS Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted search over six databases, including Scopus, PubMed, etc., between November 4, 2021 and November 11, 2021 for studies that investigated how SEC indicators predict emotional health risks during Covid-19, after obtaining approval from PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021288508). Using Covidence as the platform, 362 articles (324 cross-sectional/repeated cross-sectional and 38 longitudinal) were included in this review according to the eligibility criteria. We categorized SEC indicators into 'actual versus perceived' and 'static versus fluid' classes to explore their differential effects on emotional health. RESULTS Out of the 1479 SEC indicators used in these 362 studies, our results showed that 43.68% of the SEC indicators showed 'expected' results (i.e., higher SEC predicting better emotional health outcomes); 51.86% reported non-significant results and 4.46% reported the reverse. Economic concerns (67.16% expected results) and financial strains (64.16%) emerged as the best predictors while education (26.85%) and living conditions (30.14%) were the worst. CONCLUSIONS This review summarizes how different SEC indicators influenced emotional health risks across 98 countries, with a total of 5,677,007 participants, ranging from high to low-income countries. Our findings showed that not all SEC indicators were strongly predictive of emotional health risks. In fact, over half of the SEC indicators studied showed a null effect. We found that perceived and fluid SEC indicators, particularly economic concerns and financial strain could best predict depressive and anxiety symptoms. These findings have implications for policymakers to further understand how different SEC classes affect mental health during a pandemic in order to tackle associated social issues effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jee Kei Chan
- Department of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
- Department of Psychology, Sunway University Malaysia, Jalan Universiti, No 5, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
- Sunway University Malaysia, Room: 4-4-11, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, 47500, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Aleya A Marzuki
- Department of Psychology, Sunway University Malaysia, Jalan Universiti, No 5, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Samira Vafa
- Department of Psychology, Sunway University Malaysia, Jalan Universiti, No 5, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Arjun Thanaraju
- Department of Psychology, Sunway University Malaysia, Jalan Universiti, No 5, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Jie Yap
- Department of Psychology, Sunway University Malaysia, Jalan Universiti, No 5, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Xiou Wen Chan
- Department of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Hanis Atasha Harris
- Department of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Khushi Todi
- Department of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Alexandre Schaefer
- Department of Psychology, Sunway University Malaysia, Jalan Universiti, No 5, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
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Ma L, Huang Y, Liu T. Unequal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health: Role of the neighborhood environment. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY 2022; 87:104162. [PMID: 36092492 PMCID: PMC9443661 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2022.104162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on people's mental wellbeing. Few studies have investigated how the neighborhood environment might help to moderate the mental health impact in a natural disaster context. We aim to investigate the unequal impact of the pandemic on mental health between different population groups, and the role of the neighborhood environment in alleviating this impact. We collected survey data (n=2,741) on mental health, neighborhood environment, and pandemic-related behaviors in Beijing metropolitan region between July 10 and 28, 2020, and then applied the partial proportional odds model. Overall, we found that the pandemic has disproportionately affected the lower-income people. The lower-income residents experienced a greater psychological impact than the higher-income residents. We further found that distance to an urban park was a key built environment variable that moderates mental health impact. Residents who lived near urban parks were 4.2 to 4.6% less likely to report an increase in negative emotions, and therefore are more resilient to the mental health impact. In addition to the built environment, a cohesive neighborhood environment may have also helped to mitigate the negative mental health impacts. These findings can inform planning policies that aim to promote healthy and resilient communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ma
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Urban Future Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Territorial Spatial Planning and Development-Protection, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yan Huang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Urban Future Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Territorial Spatial Planning and Development-Protection, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Tao Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Center for Urban Future Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Key Laboratory of Territorial Spatial Planning and Development-Protection, Ministry of Natural Resources of China, Beijing 100871, China
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Tortorella A, Menculini G, Moretti P, Attademo L, Balducci PM, Bernardini F, Cirimbilli F, Chieppa AG, Ghiandai N, Erfurth A. New determinants of mental health: the role of noise pollution. A narrative review. Int Rev Psychiatry 2022; 34:783-796. [PMID: 36786115 DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2095200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Urbanisation processes and anthropogenic actions led to a significant increase in pollution levels, with relevant consequences on global health. In particular, noise pollution demonstrated an association with cardiovascular, metabolic, and respiratory diseases. Furthermore, increasing evidence underlined the possible role of air and noise pollution in the development of psychiatric disorders. In this narrative review, evidence concerning the relationship between noise pollution and the emergence of psychiatric symptoms or psychiatric disorders is summarised. After the literature search process was completed, 40 papers were included in the present review. The exposure to road-, rail-, and air- traffic represented a risk factor for the emergence of affective disorders. This could also be mediated by the occurrence of circadian rhythms disturbances or by noise annoyance and noise sensitivity, both influencing psychological well-being and health-related quality of life. Fewer studies concentrated on special populations, particularly pregnant women and children, for whom noise pollution was confirmed as a risk factor for psychopathology. The better clarification of the complex interaction between noise pollution and mental health may help to identify subjects at risk and targeting specific prevention and intervention strategies in the urban environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Luigi Attademo
- SPDC Potenza, Department of Mental Health, ASP Basilicata, Italian National Health Service, Potenza, Italy.,Planetary Health Lab, Old Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Pierfrancesco Maria Balducci
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.,Department of Mental Health, CSM Terni, Terni, Italy
| | - Francesco Bernardini
- Planetary Health Lab, Old Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,SPDC Pordenone, Department of Mental Health, AsFO Friuli Occidentale, Italian National Health Service, Pordenone, Italy
| | | | | | - Nicola Ghiandai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Andreas Erfurth
- 1st Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Wiener Gesundheitsverbund Klinik Hietzing, Vienna, Austria
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Hasegawa Y, Lau SK. A qualitative and quantitative synthesis of the impacts of COVID-19 on soundscapes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 844:157223. [PMID: 35810914 PMCID: PMC9262645 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The current prolonged coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has substantially influenced numerous facets of our daily lives for over two years. Although a number of studies have explored the pandemic impacts on soundscapes worldwide, their works have not been reviewed comprehensively nor systematically, hence a lack of prospective soundscape goals based upon global evidence. This review study examines evidence of the COVID-19 crisis impacts on soundscapes and quantifies the prevalence of unprecedented changes in acoustic environments. Two key-research classes were identified based on a systematic content analysis of the 119 included studies: (1) auditory perceptual change and (2) noise level change due to the COVID-19 pandemic/lockdown. Our qualitative synthesis ascertained the substantial adverse consequences of pandemic soundscapes on human health and well-being while beneficial aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic on soundscapes were yet identified. Furthermore, meta-analysis results highlight that the observed average noise-level reduction (148 averaged samples derived from 31 studies) varied as a function of the stringency level of the COVID-19 confinement policies imposed by the governments, which would be further moderated by urban morphology and main noise sources. Given these collective findings, we propose soundscape materiality, its nexus with related the United Nations' sustainable development goals (SDGs), and prospective approaches to support resilient soundscapes during and after the pandemic, which should be achieved to enhance healthy living and human well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshimi Hasegawa
- Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Siu-Kit Lau
- Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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Prevalence and Clinical Presentation of COVID 19 in Health Care Workers in Two Main Hospitals During the Pandemic in Shiraz, Iran. ARCHIVES OF PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.5812/pedinfect-121753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background: Given that immunocompromised patients are more at risk for the infection of SARS-CoV-2, epidemiological data are critical for assessing the corresponding prevalence among health care workers (HCWs) and patients at health centers. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the staff of two hospitals that take care of immunocompromised patients, including pediatrics and adults with special medical conditions. Methods: This cross-sectional study includes all HCWs of the two hospitals; Abu Ali Sina Transplant Hospital (AASTH) and Amir al-Momenin Burn Injury Hospital (AABIH) in Shiraz, southern Iran, conducted from April 11, 2020, to June 16, 2021. The TaqMan real-time PCR assay was used to assess the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in the suspected HCWs. Results: Out of 1232 sampled HCWs, 694 (56%) were female. Two hundred sixty-five samples (21.5%) and 967 samples (78.5%) were prepared from AABIH, and AASTH, respectively. The results showed that 30% (373) of the clinically suspected employees had positive test results. There was a significant correlation between the risk of exposure to COVID-19 patients and the PCR positivity rate, which could be explained by the fact that 58% of the infected HCWs were in a high-risk group, 20% medium-risk, and the remaining 22% were low-risk (P < 0.0001). The rates of positive cases in females were higher than that among male counterparts (P < 0.05). Conclusions: In order to protect health care workers and reduce the prevalence and transmission of diseases, deficiencies must be identified and eliminated.
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Faedda S, Plaisant A, Talu V, Tola G. The Role of Urban Environment Design on Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review. Front Public Health 2022; 10:791656. [PMID: 35570975 PMCID: PMC9099229 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.791656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the ways and times of living and using urban spaces, specifically referring to the dimension of daily life. The restrictive measures introduced during the lockdown periods have necessarily led to a re-evaluation of proximity scale bringing particularly attention to issues relating to public transport and mobility and to the quality and distribution of open public spaces. This scoping review explores the relationship between the urban environment design and health referring to the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the period from 2020 to 2021, with two main objectives: (i) to investigate the recurring urban design topics and issues related to the spatial and social needs stressed by the emergency; (ii) to identify the urban design measures both experienced during the health emergency and proposed in view of a post-COVID urban and territorial planning as they are considered impactful on health promotion. The search strategy was based on a set of keywords searched in two electronic databases which allowed the identification of a total of 1,135 contributions. After defining the eligibility criteria, we proceeded to the screening process concluded with the inclusion of 19 studies. The analysis of the contributions led to the systematization of six main urban topics-and to the corresponding spatial requirements and project proposals-highlighted as relevant and supportive in terms of the promotion of inhabitant's public health: (i) transport, mobility and accessibility; (ii) green and outdoor spaces; (iii) public and pedestrians' spaces; (iv) care services and health network; (v) communications; (vi) public and business services. The resulting framework is useful for guiding healthy city planning toward public policies, tools, regulations, urban measures, and emergency contrast provisions, that contribute to increasing the effectiveness in terms of safety and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Giulia Tola
- Department of Architecture, Design and Planning (DADU), University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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Finlay JM, Meltzer G, Cannon M, Kobayashi LC. Aging in Place During a Pandemic: Neighborhood Engagement and Environments Since the COVID-19 Pandemic Onset. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2022; 62:504-518. [PMID: 34788816 PMCID: PMC8767892 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnab169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may fundamentally change neighborhood environments and ways of aging in place. This research aimed to investigate perceptions of and engagement in neighborhoods since the pandemic onset among aging Americans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data were from the COVID-19 Coping Study, a longitudinal cohort study of health and well-being of U.S. adults aged 55 years or older during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the present analysis, we conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of responses to an open-ended survey question about how respondents felt that COVID-19 has affected their neighborhood and relationships with neighbors. The survey data were collected June-September 2020 and analyzed for a random-stratified subsample of 1,000 study participants. Sampling quotas for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and education aimed to match the U.S. population aged 55 years or older (average age: 67.7 years). RESULTS We identified 4 overarching themes: altered neighborly social interactions, support levels, and community environments; and no observed changes. Geographic factors that affected neighborhood engagement included age structure, sociopolitical diversity, urbanicity/rurality, and walkability; while individual factors included age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, political orientation, health status, duration of residence, lifestyle, and personality. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS The results highlight resilience among aging adults and their neighbors, sources of individual and community vulnerability, and opportunities to strengthen social infrastructure to support aging in place since the pandemic onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Finlay
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Gabriella Meltzer
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Melissa Cannon
- Gerontology: Aging and Older Adulthood Department, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, Oregon, USA
| | - Lindsay C Kobayashi
- Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Benz SL, Kuhlmann J, Schreckenberg D, Wothge J. Contributors to Neighbour Noise Annoyance. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18158098. [PMID: 34360391 PMCID: PMC8345718 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18158098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Noise from neighbours has been shown to be one of the most noise annoying sources in Germany, but research on the influencing factors for the annoyance ratings is scarce. Therefore, we investigated whether different personal and contextual (social, physical) factors contribute to neighbour noise annoyance to better understand the neighbour noise annoyance situation. A population-representative survey in four areas in Germany was conducted, with each area further stratified according to their density of agglomeration (inner city, urban outskirt, rural area). Randomly selected residents from each area were invited by mail to participate in the study, either online or via a paper–pencil mode. Noise annoyance was assessed for different noise sources (e.g., neighbourhood, road, railway, aircrafts, different types of industry). In total, 1973 questionnaires were completed. We identified several factors to be predictive of neighbour noise annoyance: satisfaction with the neighbourhood, relationship with neighbours, residential satisfaction, noise sensitivity, and density of agglomeration for people living in the inner city in comparison to rural areas. Particularly, social aspects such as the relationship with neighbours and satisfaction with the neighbourhood have been shown to affect neighbour noise annoyance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Benz
- ZEUS GmbH, Centre for Applied Psychology, Environmental and Social Research, 58093 Hagen, Germany; (J.K.); (D.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Julia Kuhlmann
- ZEUS GmbH, Centre for Applied Psychology, Environmental and Social Research, 58093 Hagen, Germany; (J.K.); (D.S.)
| | - Dirk Schreckenberg
- ZEUS GmbH, Centre for Applied Psychology, Environmental and Social Research, 58093 Hagen, Germany; (J.K.); (D.S.)
| | - Jördis Wothge
- German Environment Agency, Section Noise Abatement of Industrial Plants and Products, Noise Impact, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany;
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Protection, disinfection, and immunization for healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic: Role of natural and synthetic macromolecules. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 776. [PMCID: PMC7895681 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The world is trying to improve public health while the outbreak of the COVID-19 is at its worst. So far, countless people have died from the COVID-19 disease and it is still a serious threat to human health. Synthetic and natural polymers are unavoidable materials in the healthcare sector. During the COVID-19 outbreak, diverse medical equipment and devices were designed and developed by using these macromolecules for the protection, disinfection, and immunization applications. Synthetic polymers such as polypropylene, polystyrene, poly(lactic acid), poly(ethylene terephthalate), and so forth have been successfully applied for the design and fabrication of diverse face masks, shields, anti-viral coatings, as well as diagnostic kits. Natural polymers having great features such as biodegradability and environmentally friendly are made from algae, plants, and animals. These polymers including sodium alginate, chitosan, cellulose, and gums have been shown a critical role in the fabrication of personal protective equipment, immunosensors, and anti-viral spray for control and fight against COVID-19. Besides, the problem of plastic waste can be solved by replacing them with natural polymers. This mini-review aims to show the application of polymer-based materials during the COVID-19 epidemic.
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Chen Y, Liu Y. Which Risk Factors Matter More for Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Application Approach of Gradient Boosting Decision Trees. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:5879. [PMID: 34070829 PMCID: PMC8199069 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of scientific literature indicates that risk factors for COVID-19 contribute to a high level of psychological distress. However, there is no consensus on which factors contribute more to predicting psychological health. OBJECTIVES The present study quantifies the importance of related risk factors on the level of psychological distress and further explores the threshold effect of each rick factor on the level of psychological distress. Both subjective and objective measures of risk factors are considered in the model. METHODS We sampled 937 individual items of data obtained from an online questionnaire between 20 January and 13 February 2020 in China. Objective risk factors were measured in terms of direct distance from respondents' housing to the nearest COVID-19 hospital, direct distance from respondents' housing to the nearest park, and the air quality index (AQI). Perceived risk factors were measured in regard to perceived distance to the nearest COVID-19 hospital, perceived air quality, and perceived environmental quality. Psychological distress was measured with the Kessler psychological distress scale K6 score. The following health risk factors and sociodemographic factors were considered: self-rated health level, physical health status, physical activity, current smoker or drinker, age, gender, marital status, educational attainment level, residence location, and household income level. A gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) was used to analyse the data. RESULTS Health risk factors were the greatest contributors to predicting the level of psychological distress, with a relative importance of 42.32% among all influential factors. Objective risk factors had a stronger predictive power than perceived risk factors (23.49% vs. 16.26%). Furthermore, it was found that there was a dramatic rise in the moderate level of psychological distress regarding the threshold of AQI between 40 and 50, and 110 and 130, respectively. Gender-sensitive analysis revealed that women and men responded differently to psychological distress based on different risk factors. CONCLUSION We found evidence that perceived indoor air quality played a more important role in predicting psychological distress compared to ambient air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyi Chen
- School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Urbanization and Geo-Simulation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China;
| | - Ye Liu
- School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Urbanization and Geo-Simulation, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China;
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