Health-related quality of life, fear of COVID-19, and work activity among informal workers in Bogotá, Colombia.

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on health and self-perception, forced us to find new forms of social interaction due to the fear of contagion, and changed our way of working and our quality of life.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the relationship between health-related quality of life, fear of COVID-19, and work activities in a group of informal workers (street vendors) during the pandemic in Bogotá, Colombia.

METHODS

Mixed-methods study was conducted in which the European Quality of Life 5-Dimension 5-Level Scale, European Quality of Life Visual Analogue Scale, and Fear of COVID-19 Scale questionnaires, as well as a semi-structured interview, were administered in December 2021 to a group of street vendors in Bogotá. A descriptive sociodemographic analysis, a differential analysis by subgroups, and a qualitative phenomenological analysis of the underlying conditions in the quality of life-health-work activity relationship were performed.

RESULTS

Overall, 191 street vendors included. The values of the European Quality of Life 5-Dimension 5-Level Scale and European Quality of Life Visual Analogue Scale scores were higher in men (p = 0.05), and scores decreased with increasing age. The mean score on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was 17.2, ranging from 7-34 points, suggesting a mild to moderate level of fear. Qualitative analyses revealed perceptions related to daily life, basic needs, survival, and resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate differences between sex, age, and length of time working on the street. At the time of the survey, fear of the virus was lower due to the exacerbation of informal workers' needs and priorities. In this new context, they are exposed to greater vulnerability and are forced to give preference to work over health.