Shimamoto Kyoko, McElroy Eoin, Ibuka Yoko
Keio Global Research Institute, Keio University, 2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8345, Japan.
Graduate School of Health Management, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
SSM Popul Health. 2022 Dec;20:101269. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101269. Epub 2022 Oct 17.
Health inequity in relation to COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences is a major global concern. Mental health issues in vulnerable populations have received special attention in research and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is limited evidence on the nature of the anxieties experienced as a result of COVID-19, and how such concerns vary across demographic groups.
This study examines anxiety among the working population of Japan (aged 18-59), in terms of both COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences, using an internationally validated tool, the Pandemic Anxiety Scale (PAS).
Data were collected using an online survey (n = 2,764). The analyses included an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM), followed by validation of the Japanese version of the PAS.
A two-factor latent variable model shows the multidimensionality of anxiety in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic and the disparity across population groups in predicting the two defined anxiety dimensions. Several path coefficients showed somewhat unexpected and/or unique results from Japan compared with previous European studies. Specifically, self-reported health status was not significantly related to disease anxiety, and those who were not in paid employment reported lower consequence anxiety. The SEM results showed a greater number of significant exogenous variables for consequence anxiety compared to disease anxiety, highlighting disparities in pandemic anxiety by socioeconomic status in regard to socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic.
In contrast to existing European studies, evidence from the current study suggests contextual patterns of health inequity. Due to the prolonged socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic, multidisciplinary research on mental health issues and the quality of life remains an important research agenda in exploring socioeconomic measures in context, towards addressing inequity concerns.
与新冠病毒感染及社会经济后果相关的健康不平等是全球主要关注点。在新冠疫情期间，弱势群体的心理健康问题在研究和实践中受到了特别关注。然而，关于因新冠病毒而产生的焦虑本质，以及这些担忧在不同人口群体中如何变化的证据有限。
本研究使用经过国际验证的工具——大流行焦虑量表（PAS），从新冠病毒感染和社会经济后果两方面，考察日本工作人群（年龄在18 - 59岁之间）的焦虑情况。
通过在线调查收集数据（n = 2764）。分析包括探索性因素分析（EFA）、验证性因素分析（CFA）和结构方程模型（SEM），随后对PAS日语版进行验证。
一个双因素潜在变量模型显示了关于新冠疫情焦虑的多维性，以及不同人群在预测两个定义的焦虑维度方面的差异。与之前的欧洲研究相比，日本的几个路径系数显示出一些意想不到的和/或独特的结果。具体而言，自我报告的健康状况与疾病焦虑没有显著相关性，未就业者报告的后果焦虑较低。SEM结果显示，与疾病焦虑相比，后果焦虑有更多显著的外生变量，突出了在疫情社会经济后果方面，社会经济地位导致的大流行焦虑差异。
与现有的欧洲研究不同，本研究的证据表明了健康不平等的背景模式。由于疫情长期的社会经济后果，关于心理健康问题和生活质量的多学科研究仍然是探索因地制宜的社会经济措施以解决不平等问题的重要研究议程。
