Effect of COVID-19 stress on physical function performance and socioenvironmental factors of people with disabilities in Korea

This study investigated the effect of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential moderating effects of socioenvironmental factors on the physical conditions of Korean people with disabilities. Data from 405 participants on depression, instrumental activities of daily living and socioenvironmental factors were analyzed using frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlations and hierarchical regression analysis. Stress caused by COVID-19 was significantly correlated with depression, instrumental activities of daily living and social participation. Using socioenvironmental factors as moderators of the relationship between stress and depression, we found that increased depression was alleviated by social attitudes (β = 2.064; P < 0.01), family attitudes (β = 2.028; P < 0.05) and healthcare services and policies (β = −4.579; P < 0.001). Moreover, instrumental activities of daily living increased with decreased stress as moderated by social attitudes (β = 0.140; P < 0.05) and healthcare services and policies (β = −0.306; P < 0.001). Further, increased social participation alleviated stress as moderated by social attitudes (β = 0.106; P < 0.01), mobility and convenience facilities (β = 0.158; P < 0.01) and healthcare services and policies (β = −0.342; P < 0.001). The results indicate that even in public healthcare crises, it is important for people with disabilities to manage their health and participate in social activities. Their self-management and social participation can be promoted by strengthening community-centered rehabilitation and providing consumer-oriented social services.