Department of Geriatric Medicine, Adana City Training and Research Hospital, Adana, Turkey.
Geriatric Science Association, Izmir, Turkey.
BMC Geriatr. 2024 Nov 20;24(1):964. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-05555-4.
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected older adults' social lives, physical activity, and cognitive functions. Additionally, the lockdowns have disrupted regular healthcare for patients with chronic illnesses or needing acute care. Furthermore, the pandemic has negatively affected different psychosocial influences in each country due to the various cultural characteristics, technology, health system, and financial opportunities. This study aimed to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on mood, social participation, and healthcare use in older adults living in Turkey. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-December 2021) in three medical centers in Turkey. Patients aged 60 + years without significant cognitive impairment were recruited by mail or at hospital admissions. Information on demographics, pandemic-related distancing measures, healthcare use, lifestyle, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and social participation were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 343 participants were included in the study. Women had a higher rate of hypertension, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and fatigue compared to men (p < 0.05). Since the start of the pandemic, only 22.4% of non-acute healthcare appointments were conducted face-to-face. Time spent with family and friends, hope for the future, and physical activity decreased. At the same time, the experience of loneliness, the number of meals and unhealthy snacks, and the use of digital services increased. Women were also more concerned about getting coronavirus infection, transmitting the virus to others, and being discriminated against because of the infection (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These pandemic days have had a significant psychosocial impact on Turkish older adults, especially women. As a strategy of the health care policy, easy access and follow-up to the health system should be provided, and the necessary support should be procured to minimize the detrimental effects of the pandemic on older people.
背景:COVID-19 大流行严重影响了老年人的社交生活、身体活动和认知功能。此外,封锁还打乱了慢性病患者或需要急性护理患者的常规医疗保健。此外,由于各国的文化特点、技术、医疗体系和经济机会不同,大流行对不同的社会心理影响产生了负面影响。本研究旨在调查 COVID-19 对居住在土耳其的老年人情绪、社会参与和医疗保健使用的影响。
方法:这是一项在 COVID-19 大流行的第三波期间(2021 年 3 月至 12 月)在土耳其的三家医疗中心进行的横断面研究。通过邮件或在医院就诊招募年龄在 60 岁及以上且无明显认知障碍的患者。评估人口统计学、与大流行相关的隔离措施、医疗保健使用、生活方式、焦虑、抑郁症状和社会参与情况。
结果:共有 343 名参与者纳入研究。与男性相比,女性高血压、焦虑、抑郁和疲劳症状的发生率更高(p<0.05)。自大流行开始以来,只有 22.4%的非急性医疗预约是面对面进行的。与家人和朋友相处的时间、对未来的希望和身体活动减少了。与此同时,孤独感、用餐和不健康零食的次数以及数字服务的使用增加了。女性也更担心感染冠状病毒、将病毒传播给他人以及因感染而受到歧视(p<0.05)。
结论:这些大流行的日子对土耳其老年人,尤其是女性,产生了重大的社会心理影响。作为医疗保健政策的一项策略,应该提供便捷的医疗系统访问和后续服务,并获得必要的支持,以尽量减少大流行对老年人的不利影响。
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