Crankson Shirley, Pokhrel Subhash, Anokye Nana Kwame
Division of Global Public Health, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, London UB8 3PH, UK.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jan 4;19(1):527. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010527.
There is paucity of data on determinants of length of COVID-19 admissions and long COVID, an emerging long-term sequel of COVID-19, in Ghana. Therefore, this study identified these determinants and discussed their policy implications.
Data of 2334 patients seen at the main COVID-19 treatment centre in Ghana were analysed in this study. Their characteristics, such as age, education level and comorbidities, were examined as explanatory variables. The dependent variables were length of COVID-19 hospitalisations and long COVID. Negative binomial and binary logistic regressions were fitted to investigate the determinants.
The regression analyses showed that, on average, COVID-19 patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus spent almost 2 days longer in hospital ( = 0.00, 95% CI = 1.42-2.33) and had 4 times the odds of long COVID (95% CI = 1.61-10.85, = 0.003) compared to those with no comorbidities. In addition, the odds of long COVID decreased with increasing patient's education level (primary OR = 0.73, = 0.02; secondary/vocational OR = 0.26, = 0.02; tertiary education OR = 0.23, = 0.12).
The presence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus determined both length of hospitalisation and long COVID among patients with COVID-19 in Ghana. COVID-19 prevention and management policies should therefore consider these factors.
在加纳，关于新冠病毒病（COVID-19）住院时长的决定因素以及新冠后状况（一种COVID-19新出现的长期后遗症）的数据匮乏。因此，本研究确定了这些决定因素并讨论了其政策意义。
本研究分析了在加纳主要COVID-19治疗中心就诊的2334例患者的数据。将他们的特征，如年龄、教育水平和合并症，作为解释变量进行研究。因变量为COVID-19住院时长和新冠后状况。采用负二项回归和二元逻辑回归来研究这些决定因素。
回归分析显示，平均而言，患有高血压和糖尿病的COVID-19患者住院时间比无合并症患者长近2天（β = 0.00，95%置信区间 = 1.42 - 2.33），患新冠后状况的几率是无合并症患者的4倍（95%置信区间 = 1.61 - 10.85，P = 0.003）。此外，新冠后状况的几率随着患者教育水平的提高而降低（小学教育程度：比值比 = 0.73，P = 0.02；中学/职业教育程度：比值比 = 0.26，P = 0.02；高等教育程度：比值比 = 0.23，P = 0.12）。
在加纳，高血压和糖尿病的存在决定了COVID-19患者的住院时长和新冠后状况。因此，COVID-19的预防和管理政策应考虑这些因素。
