Wong Li Ping, Farid Nik Daliana Nik, Alias Haridah, Yusop Sofia Md, Musa Zuhrah, Hu Zhijian, Lin Yulan
Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
Front Psychiatry. 2023 May 15;14:1165023. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1165023. eCollection 2023.
This study aimed to shed light on how young people from low-income families were responding to COVID-19.
This cross-sectional study recruited young people aged between 18 and 24 years from the low-income-group communities. A convenience sampling approach was used. Google Surveys were used to gather data from the survey. The questionnaire consisted of an assessment of demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, parent-youth conflict (Parental Environment Questionnaire, PEQ), resilient coping (Brief Resilient Coping Scale, BRCS), and psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-short form, DASS-21).
A total of 561 complete responses were received. The results showed a low level of parent-child conflict in the overall study population, with a median PEQ of 48.0 [interquartile range (IQR) 36-48]. Higher parent-child conflicts were found in females than in males (OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.19-2.57) and in youth from households with an income below MYR 2000 than those earning MYR 3,001-5,000 (OR = 4.39, 95% CI 2.40-8.03). A low prevalence of depression (12.5%), anxiety (15.2%), and stress (6.4%) was found. Parent-child conflict remains the strongest significant predictor for higher levels of depression (OR = 10.90, 95% CI 4.31-27.57), anxiety (OR = 11.92, 95% CI 5.05-28.14), and stress (OR = 4.79, 95% CI 1.41-16.33) symptoms. Poor resilient coping was the second strongest predictor for depression and anxiety symptoms. Regarding lifestyle factors, a lower level of physical exercise was associated with higher symptoms of depression. By demographics, females reported more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety than males. Young people from low-income households reported greater severity in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress than those from high-income households. Young people who are employed also reported greater severity of anxiety symptoms than those who are unemployed.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an unpredictable impact on the lives of vulnerable youth in low-income families that warrants attention in future advocacy efforts.
本研究旨在揭示低收入家庭的年轻人如何应对新冠疫情。
本横断面研究从低收入群体社区招募了18至24岁的年轻人。采用便利抽样法。通过谷歌调查收集数据。问卷包括对人口统计学特征、生活方式因素、亲子冲突（亲子环境问卷，PEQ）、适应性应对（简易适应性应对量表，BRCS）和心理困扰（抑郁、焦虑和压力量表简版，DASS - 21）的评估。
共收到561份完整回复。结果显示，在整个研究人群中亲子冲突水平较低，PEQ中位数为48.0[四分位间距（IQR）36 - 48]。女性的亲子冲突高于男性（OR = 1.75，95%CI 1.19 - 2.57），收入低于2000马来西亚林吉特家庭的年轻人比收入在3001 - 5000马来西亚林吉特家庭的年轻人亲子冲突更高（OR = 4.39，95%CI 2.40 - 8.03）。抑郁（12.5%）、焦虑（15.2%）和压力（6.4%）的患病率较低。亲子冲突仍然是抑郁（OR = 10.90，95%CI 4.31 - 27.57）、焦虑（OR = 11.92，95%CI 5.05 - 28.14）和压力（OR = 4.79，95%CI 1.41 - 16.33）症状水平升高的最强显著预测因素。适应性应对能力差是抑郁和焦虑症状的第二强预测因素。关于生活方式因素，体育锻炼水平较低与抑郁症状较高有关。从人口统计学来看，女性报告的抑郁和焦虑症状比男性更严重。低收入家庭的年轻人报告的抑郁、焦虑和压力症状比高收入家庭的年轻人更严重。就业的年轻人报告的焦虑症状也比未就业的年轻人更严重。
新冠疫情继续对低收入家庭弱势青年的生活产生不可预测的影响，这值得在未来的宣传工作中予以关注。
