Cargando…

Health inequity in pandemic anxiety about COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences in Japan: A structural equation modeling approach

BACKGROUND: 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 natu...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Shimamoto, Kyoko, McElroy, Eoin, Ibuka, Yoko
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Elsevier 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9574575/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36276239
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101269
_version_ 1784811132500836352
author Shimamoto, Kyoko
McElroy, Eoin
Ibuka, Yoko
author_facet Shimamoto, Kyoko
McElroy, Eoin
Ibuka, Yoko
author_sort Shimamoto, Kyoko
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: 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. AIM: 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). METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-9574575
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2022
publisher Elsevier
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-95745752022-10-17 Health inequity in pandemic anxiety about COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences in Japan: A structural equation modeling approach Shimamoto, Kyoko McElroy, Eoin Ibuka, Yoko SSM Popul Health Regular Article BACKGROUND: 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. AIM: 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). METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: 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. Elsevier 2022-10-17 /pmc/articles/PMC9574575/ /pubmed/36276239 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101269 Text en © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
spellingShingle Regular Article
Shimamoto, Kyoko
McElroy, Eoin
Ibuka, Yoko
Health inequity in pandemic anxiety about COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences in Japan: A structural equation modeling approach
title Health inequity in pandemic anxiety about COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences in Japan: A structural equation modeling approach
title_full Health inequity in pandemic anxiety about COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences in Japan: A structural equation modeling approach
title_fullStr Health inequity in pandemic anxiety about COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences in Japan: A structural equation modeling approach
title_full_unstemmed Health inequity in pandemic anxiety about COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences in Japan: A structural equation modeling approach
title_short Health inequity in pandemic anxiety about COVID-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences in Japan: A structural equation modeling approach
title_sort health inequity in pandemic anxiety about covid-19 infection and socioeconomic consequences in japan: a structural equation modeling approach
topic Regular Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9574575/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36276239
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101269
work_keys_str_mv AT shimamotokyoko healthinequityinpandemicanxietyaboutcovid19infectionandsocioeconomicconsequencesinjapanastructuralequationmodelingapproach
AT mcelroyeoin healthinequityinpandemicanxietyaboutcovid19infectionandsocioeconomicconsequencesinjapanastructuralequationmodelingapproach
AT ibukayoko healthinequityinpandemicanxietyaboutcovid19infectionandsocioeconomicconsequencesinjapanastructuralequationmodelingapproach