TY - JOUR
T1 - Predictors and Consequences of Not Seeking Healthcare during the COVID-19 Pandemic
T2 - Findings from the HEAF Cohort
AU - D’Angelo, Stefania
AU - Bevilacqua, Gregorio
AU - Bloom, Ilse
AU - Ntani, Georgia
AU - Walker-Bone, Karen
N1 - Funding Information:
The HEAF study is funded by the Medical Research Council programme grant (MC_UU_12011/5), and by grant awards from Versus Arthritis (formerly Arthritis Research UK) (22090); and the Economic and Social Research Council and Medical Research Council jointly (ES/L002663/1).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a dramatic reduction of routine healthcare availability in many European countries. Among a cohort of English middle-aged adults, we explored pre-pandemic and pandemic factors associated with not seeking healthcare during lockdown, and their effect on subsequent self-reported health measures. Longitudinal data from the Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) cohort were used. Pre-pandemic data came from the 5th annual follow-up (2019), when participants were aged 56–71 years, and pandemic data were collected by e-survey in February 2021 and November 2021. Response rates of the two e-surveys were 53% and 79%, respectively. Pre-pandemic predictors of not seeking healthcare were: female gender, higher BMI, higher comorbidity, poorer self-rated health and depression; non-care seekers were also more likely to report that family or friends were affected by COVID-19 and to have been advised to shield. Not seeking healthcare during lockdown was associated with a higher risk of reporting worsening of physical, but not mental, health during the later phase of the pandemic. In this cohort, those with generally poorer health were disproportionately more likely to not seek healthcare during lockdown, which may potentially exacerbate pre-existing inequalities and lead to longer-term health consequences.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a dramatic reduction of routine healthcare availability in many European countries. Among a cohort of English middle-aged adults, we explored pre-pandemic and pandemic factors associated with not seeking healthcare during lockdown, and their effect on subsequent self-reported health measures. Longitudinal data from the Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) cohort were used. Pre-pandemic data came from the 5th annual follow-up (2019), when participants were aged 56–71 years, and pandemic data were collected by e-survey in February 2021 and November 2021. Response rates of the two e-surveys were 53% and 79%, respectively. Pre-pandemic predictors of not seeking healthcare were: female gender, higher BMI, higher comorbidity, poorer self-rated health and depression; non-care seekers were also more likely to report that family or friends were affected by COVID-19 and to have been advised to shield. Not seeking healthcare during lockdown was associated with a higher risk of reporting worsening of physical, but not mental, health during the later phase of the pandemic. In this cohort, those with generally poorer health were disproportionately more likely to not seek healthcare during lockdown, which may potentially exacerbate pre-existing inequalities and lead to longer-term health consequences.
KW - COVID-19
KW - health seeking behaviour
KW - healthcare utilisation
KW - mental health
KW - middle-aged people
KW - physical health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85140898430&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph192013271
DO - 10.3390/ijerph192013271
M3 - Article
C2 - 36293850
AN - SCOPUS:85140898430
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 19
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 20
M1 - 13271
ER -
