Gender Differences in State Anxiety Related to Daily Function Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Questionnaire Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Background: Especially among older adults, the Corona virus pandemic (COVID-19) poses a challenge to people's day-to-day functioning and constitutes a meaningful factor related to their emotional and physical health. OBJECTIVE Objective: This study aimed to analyze relationships and gender differences between state anxiety, daily functional actualization, and functional cognition among older adults during the COVD-19 pandemic shelter-in-place. METHODS Methods: We collected online data from a sample of 204 people (102 men and 102 women) aged 60 years and older. In addition to a demographic questionnaire, the State-Trait Personality Inventory was used to assess state anxiety, the Daily Functional Actualization questionnaire was used to evaluate daily functional actualization and the Daily Living Questionnaire to measure functional cognition. RESULTS Results: Significant gender differences were found for state anxiety, t(202) = -2.36, P = .02; daily functional actualization, t(202) = 2.15, P = .03; and several functional cognition components, such as complex tasks, Z = -3.07, P = .002; cognitive symptoms that might be interfering, Z = -2.15, P = .028; executive functions, Z = -2.21, P = .024; and executive function monitoring, Z = -2.21, P = .027. Significant medium correlations were found between both state anxiety level and functional cognition (r = .37–.40, P < .001) and daily functional actualization (r = -.62, P < .001). Furthermore, daily functional actualization predicted 43% of the variance of state anxiety level, F(1, 202) = 155.73, P < .0001. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: In older adults, anxiety is associated with cognitive decline. It may harm daily functional abilities, in turn leading to social isolation, loneliness, and decreased well-being. Knowledge and self-awareness about the relationships between common and available resources of daily functional actualization and functional cognition with anxiety, especially as related to gender, may serve as a possible strengthening factor in crisis periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Development of the Coronavirus Anxiety Model in the Elderly: Based on Hope and Health-Related Quality of Life With the Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support

“…Moreover, compared to other groups, the elderly are more dependent on others in doing their daily activities and social distancing related to COVID-19 has led to more isolation among them. All these factors have increased fear and anxiety from COVID-19 among the elderly (Mehra et al, 2020; Rosenblum, 2021; Siew et al, 2021).…”

“…Anxiety-related disorders and symptoms are among the most extensive mental disorders in the elderly even when there is no crisis period (Rosenblum, 2021). In the literature, some studies have focused on the mental health of the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis (Rosenblum, 2021; Siew et al, 2021). In general, these studies indicate the increase in depression and anxiety symptoms in the elderly.…”

“…However, among the majority of the conducted study in the coronavirus period, especially in the discussions on problems such as anxiety, very little attention has been given to the elderly individuals (Robb et al, 2020). Based on our knowledge, some studies have pointed to variables such as social isolation (Siew et al, 2021), daily functional self-actualization and functional cognition (Rosenblum, 2021), and subjective loneliness (Robb et al, 2020) as the predictive factors in the elderly. According to cognitive models (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984), when people are faced with stressful and anxiety-provoking resources such as diseases similar to COVID-19 in their lives, a collection of factors including personal resources (e.g., perceived social support and hope - both have cognitive dimensions (Levkovich et al, 2021; Snyder, 2002)) and physio-psychological health status (e.g., quality of life) will be effective in how people deal or cope with these stresses.…”