Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had socioeconomic effects in Africa. This study assessed the social and economic determinants of healthcare utilization during the first wave of COVID-19 among adults in Ghana.
Methods: Information about individuals residing in Ghana was derived from a survey conducted across multiple countries, aiming to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and overall well-being of adults aged 18 and above. The dependent variable for the study was healthcare utilization (categorized as low or high). The independent variables were economic (such as financial loss, job loss, diminished wages, investment/retirement setbacks, and non-refunded travel cancellations) and social (including food scarcity, loss of financial support sources, housing instability, challenges affording food, clothing, shelter, electricity, utilities, and increased caregiving responsibilities for partners) determinants of health. A multinomial logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with healthcare utilization after adjusting for confounders (age, gender, access to medical insurance, COVID-19 status, educational background, employment, and marital status of the participants).
Results: The analysis included 364 responses. Individuals who encountered a loss of financial support (AOR: 9.58; 95% CI: 3.44-26.73; p < 0.001), a decrease or loss of wages (AOR: 7.44, 95% CI: 3.05-18.16, p < 0.001), experienced investment or retirement setbacks (AOR: 10.69, 95% CI: 2.60-43.88, p = 0.001), and expressed concerns about potential food shortages (AOR: 6.85, 95% CI: 2.49-18.84, p < 0.001) exhibited significantly higher odds of low healthcare utilization during the initial phase of the pandemic. Contrastingly, participants facing challenges in paying for basic needs demonstrated lower odds of low healthcare utilization compared to those who found it easy to cover basic expenses (AOR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.06-0.67, p = 0.001).
Conclusion: Economic and social factors were associated with low healthcare utilization in Ghana during the first wave of the pandemic. Investment or retirement loss and financial support loss during the pandemic had the largest effect on healthcare utilization. Further research is needed to understand the connection between concerns about food shortages, welfare losses during pandemics and healthcare utilization during pandemics in Ghana.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17912-4 | DOI Listing |
BMC Pulm Med
December 2024
Medical Department I, Division of Pneumology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
Purpose: The role of lung biopsy for evaluation of persistent chest radiographic abnormalities including secondary organizing pneumonia (OP) in COVID-19 remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of trans-bronchial forceps biopsy (TBFB) in patients with persistent lung abnormalities on thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan following SARS-CoV-2 infection with particular focus on cases with OP and immunocompromised (IC) patients.
Methods: Descriptive retrospective single center analysis of all TBFB performed for diffuse lung parenchymal changes after COVID-19 03-2020 to 06-2023.
BMC Med Educ
December 2024
Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Context: The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in numbers of patients dying at home in the UK, meaning that general practitioners (GPs) were exposed to more patient death than would be pre-COVID. This project aimed to gain insight into GP trainees' experiences of patient death between March and July 2020. This insight can inform support for GPs, leading to improved wellbeing, workforce retention and ultimately, better patient-centred care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Public Health
December 2024
Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University of Nicosia Medical School, 21 Ilia Papakyriakou, 1st Floor, Block C, Engomi, Nicosia, Nicosia, 2414, Cyprus.
Background: University students, often unemployed and reliant on low-nutrition foods, are susceptible to food insecurity (FI) with potential physical and mental health challenges. This study explores FI and its impact on lifestyle behaviours among university students.
Methods: A cross-sectional web-based study was performed by sending an online questionnaire to university students in Lebanon, Cyprus, and Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BMC Public Health
December 2024
Urban Institute & Department of Civil Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
Background: Understanding emotional stress stability in populations is crucial because stress is a key factor in causing depression, and it worsens well-being.
Method: In this study, using repeated cross-sectional data from 149 countries from 2007 to 2021 (N = 2,450,043), we examined time trends of psychological stress in populations worldwide.
Results: Over half of the population experienced emotional stress in 20 countries, and 85% of the countries reported worse psychological stress in 2020 compared with 2008.
BMC Public Health
December 2024
Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Background: Pandemics can lead to mental health problems such as depression. This meta-analysis of meta-analyses aimed to estimate the precise prevalence of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were searched for published meta-analyses using relevant keywords, such as depression, prevalence, COVID-19, and meta-analysis up to March 18, 2024 according to the PRISMA guidelines.
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