| Popis: |
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its prevention policies have taken a toll on Canadians, and certain subgroups may have been disproportionately affected, including those with non-communicable disease (NCDs; e.g., heart and lung disease) due to their risk of COVID-19 complications. Aims/Objectives: We investigated the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health, lifestyle habits, and access to healthcare among Canadians with NCDs compared to those without, and the extent to which women with NCDs were disproportionately affected. Methods: As part of the iCARE study (www.icarestudy.com), data from seven Canadian representative samples (total n=24,028) was collected via online surveys between June 4, 2020 to February 2, 2022 and analyzed using general linear models. Results: A total of 45.6% (n=10,570) of survey respondents indicated having at least one physician-diagnosed NCD, the most common of which were hypertension (24.3%), chronic lung disease (13.3%) and diabetes (12.0%). In fully adjusted models, those with NCDs were 1.18-1.24 times more likely to reporting feeling lonely, irritable/frustrated, and angry ‘to a great extent’ compared to those without (p’s Conclusion: Results suggest that people with NCDs and women have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and that women with NCDs have suffered greater psychological distress compared to men, and men with NCDs have increased their alcohol consumption compared to women. Findings point to potential intervention targets among patients with NCDs. |
