Health and Wellbeing of Regional and Rural Australian Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Baseline Cross-Sectional Findings from the Loddon Mallee Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Study-A Prospective Cohort Study.

Autor:	McEvoy M; La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., Caccaviello G; Swan Hill District Health Service, Swan Hill, VIC 3585, Australia., Crombie A; Bendigo Health, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., Skinner T; School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., Begg SJ; La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., Faulkner P; Bendigo Health, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., McEvoy A; Kyabram District Health Service, Kyabram, VIC 3620, Australia., Masman K; Bendigo Health, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., Bamforth L; Bendigo Health, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., Parker C; Bendigo Health, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., Stanyer E; Bendigo Health, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., Collings A; Bendigo Health, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia., Li X; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3550, Australia.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	International journal of environmental research and public health [Int J Environ Res Public Health] 2024 May 20; Vol. 21 (5). Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 May 20.
DOI:	10.3390/ijerph21050649
Abstrakt:	Background: Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) has created complex pressures and challenges for healthcare systems worldwide; however, little is known about the impacts COVID-19 has had on regional/rural healthcare workers. The Loddon Mallee Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Study (LMHCWCS) cohort was established to explore and describe the immediate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on regional and rural healthcare workers. Methods: Eligible healthcare workers employed within 23 different healthcare organisations located in the Loddon Mallee region of Victoria, Australia, were included. In this cohort study, a total of 1313 participants were recruited from November 2020-May 2021. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and burnout were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Impact of Events Scale-6 (IES-6), and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), respectively. Resilience and optimism were measured using the Brief Resilience Scale and Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), respectively. Subjective fear of COVID-19 was measured using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Results: These cross-sectional baseline findings demonstrate that regional/rural healthcare workers were experiencing moderate/severe depressive symptoms (n = 211, 16.1%), moderate to severe anxiety symptoms (n = 193, 14.7%), and high personal or patient/client burnout with median total scores of 46.4 (IQR = 28.6) and 25.0 (IQR = 29.2), respectively. There was a moderate degree of COVID-19-related fear. However, most participants demonstrated a normal/high degree of resilience (n = 854, 65.0%). Based on self-reporting, 15.4% had a BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 kgm 2 and 37.0% have a BMI of 25 kgm 2 or over. Overall, 7.3% of participants reported they were current smokers and 20.6% reported alcohol consumption that is considered moderate/high-risk drinking. Only 21.2% of the sample reported consuming four or more serves of vegetables daily and 37.8% reported consuming two or more serves of fruit daily. There were 48.0% the sample who reported having poor sleep quality measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Conclusion: Regional/rural healthcare workers in Victoria, Australia, were experiencing a moderate to high degree of psychological distress during the early stages of the pandemic. However, most participants demonstrated a normal/high degree of resilience. Findings will be used to inform policy options to support healthcare workers in responding to future pandemics. Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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