PLoS ONE (Jan 2024)

Health-related quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic: The impact of restrictive measures using data from two Dutch population-based cohort studies.

  • Cheyenne C E van Hagen,
  • Anne J Huiberts,
  • Elizabeth N Mutubuki,
  • Hester E de Melker,
  • Eric R A Vos,
  • Janneke H H M van de Wijgert,
  • Susan van den Hof,
  • Mirjam J Knol,
  • Albert Jan van Hoek

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300324
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19, no. 3
p. e0300324

Abstract

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ObjectivesWe describe health-related quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in the general Dutch population and correlations with restrictive measures.MethodsData were obtained from 18-85 year-old participants of two population-based cohort studies (February 2021-July 2022): PIENTER Corona (n = 8,019) and VASCO (n = 45,413). Per cohort, mean scores of mental and physical health and health utility from the SF-12 were calculated by age group, sex and presence of a medical risk condition. Spearman correlations with stringency of measures were calculated.ResultsBoth cohorts showed comparable results. Participants ConclusionsDuring the Dutch COVID-19 epidemic, health utility and mental health scores were lower and fluctuated strongest among young adults compared to older adults. In our study population, age, sex and presence of a medical risk condition seemed to have more impact on health scores than stringency of COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions.